The Twilight Twenty-Five: Round 10
by iamsupergirl2
Summary: TT25 R10, 25 Prompts: Photos. One-Shots. Varied ratings. Unrelated chapters. Any characters.
1. Photo: Beach shore

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 1 (Photo of **Beach Shore** ) **  
Main Character/Pairing:** Bella & Edward **  
Rating:** K **  
Word Count:** 1132

* * *

 **\- Edward's Point of View -**

* * *

"Please don't stress over it," I urged. "This time is for you to spend with your mother. Make the best out of it." _While you can_ , I finished mentally.

While I would never admit it aloud, I knew it was inevitable that Bella would permanently join our family in the sense that she wanted. No matter how often I informed her that remaining a human would not diminish my love for her, she was as stubborn as she was self-conscious.

Still, until her heart stopped beating, I would spend my every second trying to convince that she could still spend her forever with me _without_ sacrificing her soul in the process. I wasn't leaving her again, and though the desire of _truly_ spending eternity with her lingered deep down in my heart, I would not allow her to give up her humanity for someone like me.

Aside from her own protection from the vampire currently pursuing her in Forks, this trip to Florida for a visit to her mother also served as a reminder that giving up her human life would cost her her family, too. Bella was exceptionally close to her mother, and I hoped that this short visit would give her a reason to hesitate.

"I know," she muttered, slumping her shoulders tiredly. "I just feel bad that you'll be forced to sit inside all the time."

"It's just the weekend," I soothed, pressing a comforting kiss to her forehead. "You see me all the time, and you really need this time with your best friend."

Her eyes brightened a little. She sounded a little amused when she commented, "She's going to convince me to move to Florida, I just know it."

"Do what's best for you," I encouraged firmly. "I will support you no matter what."

The amusement vanished instantly. "Don't start again," she warned. "You can't get rid of me."

I was cut off from my reply when the pilot's voice came over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking. We will be landing in Jacksonville, Florida airport momentarily. Please remain seated…"

"Ready?"

She sighed, peeking out the window. "Ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

"The couch will be just perfect, Renée," I assured Bella's fretful and anxious mother. Little did she know that even a bed made of granite would make no difference to me. "Thank you."

 _So polite, this one_ , Renée thought admiringly. _I barely got a chance to talk to him the last time I met him, and I'm glad Bella brought him along on this trip. She sure does seem serious about him…_

I worked immensely hard to keep my expression neutral as Bella's mother thought back to the previous time she'd seen her. An image of an alien Bella, pale-skinned, bone-thin and sunken eyes, floated up to her mind, and the most terrifying part of it was that _I_ had done that to her.

How had Bella _ever_ forgiven me for that?

As if instinctively, my hand reached out to touch her back, holding her close and seeking comfort in her presence.

Except for Bella herself, no power in the world could make me let her go again.

Despite her rapturous chatter with her daughter, Renée noticed my preoccupation with the way the gentle breeze played with Bella's thick locks. _He's so devoted her, but their gestures towards each other are very innocent._

Renée's sharp eyes picked up on the way that though we barely held hands and hardly even touched, we were so attuned to one another's bodies. At one point, Bella had shifted into a more comfortable position on the couch, and I, without even realizing until Renée pointed it out in her thoughts, had automatically adjusted my body to be closer to hers.

 _Bella mentioned a while back that it was just a crush, but looking at both of them now, I can't say it is one anymore. They seem very serious about each other, but they're still too young. I remember when that was me… then again, Bella is much older than I'll ever be._

It was rather disconcerting to have our every move evaluated because we needed to be very careful in our activities. Already Renée was puzzling over the incomprehensible intensity of our relationship and wondering when it would be a good time to bring up this topic in a private conversation with her daughter.

"Well, I've been boring you two for long enough now." Renée grinned, nudging us out the balcony door. "Go on and enjoy some fresh air before dinner."

"I can cook," Bella insisted immediately, gracious and ready to help as ever.

"No, no." Renée shook her head. "My treat. Take your time. We can go shopping tomorrow. They opened up a new mall nearby, and I've been dying to show this really cute dress store…"

"Okay, Mom," Bella interrupted quickly, grabbing my hand. "We'll be back soon."

An amused smile crept onto my face as Bella hurriedly led me out to the backyard beach. "Still not a fan of shopping?"

The air was dry and hot, and the sun was setting already, so I didn't worry about exposing myself.

"Not in a million years." Bella agreed.

I would have liked to hold her to it, but at this point, I wasn't sure if she would be around in a million years. Then again, neither would I be. Smiling fondly, I raised Bella's hand locked with mine to kiss the back of it, my lips tingling pleasurably from its heat.

"You may change your mind about that," I suggested lightly. "A few more years with Alice and you may find that you actually enjoy it."

Bella glared at me. "I can, and I _will_ , spend eternity around her and it still won't change my mind."

I sighed. So stubborn.

"Have you ever been to a beach?"

I blinked. "At night, yes, or when the sun is low. Sometimes for hunting. But not to actually relax."

Bella didn't reply, looking thoughtfully out into the water. After two minutes of walking silently along the shore, I growled in frustration.

"What are you thinking?"

She didn't look away from the ocean. Her voice was nothing but a breathless murmur when she replied, "I'm wishing we could stay like this forever."

I didn't take my eyes off her as we strolled amicably. The setting sun was positioned right behind her head, illuminating her pale features with a beautiful orange glow. The evening wind made her long dark hair whip wildly around her face and tickle my arm. Saltwater rolled back and forth, lapping at our bare ankles. The foamy sand was squishy and wet between our toes.

How could something so ordinary such as walking on the beach with her be so euphoric?

Forever indeed…


	2. Photo: Mailboxes

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com  
**

 **Prompt:** 2 (Photo of **Mailboxes** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Renée  & Phil  
 **Rating:** K  
 **Word Count:** 1234

* * *

 **\- Renée's Point of View -**

* * *

 _ISABELLA MARIE SWAN_

 _AND_

 _EDWARD ANTHONY MASEN CULLEN_

 _TOGETHER WITH THEIR FAMILIES_

 _REQUEST THE HONOR OF YOUR PRESENCE_

 _AT THE CELEBRATION OF THEIR MARRIAGE_

Holy. Crap.

Bella had told me the expected but still surprising news over phone, just yesterday in fact, but actually seeing their invitation in paper… it made it all the more official.

 _Marriage_?

For crying out loud, my daughter was only eighteen. Nineteen, in a few months but still too young for my baby girl to get married.

The paper shook as I attempted to finish reading the rest, but the words were a complete blur to my eyes.

Still, I reasoned, Bella had never been a teenager. Decisions that she made were well thought-out and considered rationally. Having always been more mature for her age had brought out a sense of responsibility in her. A marriage at eighteen would work out for her, even if it hadn't for me.

In other words, she was not me.

I often saw Charlie in her. Like him, she was extremely trustworthy and sensible in her commitments. I knew this decision to get married wasn't something she'd agreed to on a whim. She wouldn't have said yes to Edward when he'd proposed if she didn't believe it was right.

And she had one hell of a fiancé.

Edward Cullen was different from any other teenage boy I knew. I'd met the boy only twice—once in the hospital after Bella's disastrous episode in Phoenix and later when Bella had brought him along to Florida for their weekend visit.

He absolutely adored her.

I had seen it briefly when I'd visited Bella in the hospital, but at that moment, my attention had been primarily focused on my daughter's wellbeing to speculate much over their relationship. Bella had assured me that it was just a "crush" phase, and I'd been ready to let it go. At that time, in my mind, Bella had too young to have such a serious relationship—no matter how committed to her the boy had appeared to be.

When they'd flown in to Jacksonville that weekend, it was blatantly clear that Edward _was_ committed to her. All throughout the trip, they'd been maintaining a careful distance apart, as though pretending for my sake, even if they hadn't been able to hide the disconcerting intensity between them.

The way he had _looked_ at her… I'd been baffled by the vehemence in his eyes that he had not been able to hide. There had been something protective about his gaze, I'd observed, whenever it had wandered back to her. He had seemed almost painstakingly aware of her every movement, as if ready to assist her if needed.

And he had.

My daughter was extremely clumsy, another trait she had inherited from her father. And Edward seemed to be well versed and practiced with rushing to her aid. Or he just had quick reflexes. Bella had been standing in the kitchen that Saturday morning, preparing my favorite omelette, and would have skidded across the wet kitchen tiles had Edward not slipped a hand around her waist to steady her.

 _I_ hadn't even seen that coming, and I'd been standing much closer to her.

He'd fondly admonished her to be more careful, his teasing tone burning with underlying apprehensiveness and fear.

And that had been that. Bella had flashed him a quick, grateful smile and went back to breakfast. His gaze had lingered on her for a moment or two before resuming his duty of chopping the vegetables.

Beyond the deliberate attentiveness and caution that had shone in his eyes the entire time, making him look rather feral if I was being honest, the love and tenderness in his eyes, which were much more visible in his smile, had been fascinating to witness.

My daughter was his entire world, and he knew it.

I'd been alive a lot longer than my daughter and her fiancé had, but I didn't share even a shred of intimacy and devotion with my husband compared to the way they did.

In many ways, Bella and Edward very much alike. Both were old souls, responsible and beyond selfless, both putting others needs before theirs. I had seen it with my daughter as she was growing up, and I had seen it with Edward directed at my daughter.

My thoughts wandered back to the point when they'd been apart. Even now, I didn't understand the full story, just that Edward had broken off their relationship when he and his family had moved. Apparently Edward hadn't wanted to force Bella into a long-distance relationship and had encouraged her to move on.

Only she didn't, and he hadn't followed his own advice either.

Bella had become… not Bella, and I could only imagine, looking at the strength of their love and attachment _now_ , how Edward had fared in her absence as well.

Charlie had blamed Edward wholly for the mishap, claiming that he was no good for her, but I had seen the truth when they'd visited me a few months ago. Those two had a special connection that I, or anyone, would never come close to understanding. Separating them would only worsen things, and I couldn't bear to see my daughter go back to her empty, almost crazy, self.

A tap on the shoulder made me jump.

Phil chuckled and kissed me quickly. "A penny for your thoughts?"

I grinned widely and handed him the invitation. His eyes dropped down to the card in confusion, but before he read even one word, I squealed and threw my arms around his neck.

"They're getting _married_!"

"What? Who?"

"Bella and Edward!"

His eyes were wide and shocked when I pulled back to look at his face. "When?"

"August thirteenth."

I was extremely giddy. After observing their relationship with my own eyes, I was over being against my marriage at eighteen.

I had faith that they would make it till the end.

Phil seemed to thinking the same thing. I watched him process the information before he settled for a thoughtful smile.

"Damn. So soon…" His gaze focused on my face. He knew all about my previous oppositions to early marriage. "It's like bad but good at the same time, huh?"

I laughed. "Yes. But I trust them."

"Me too."

He looked back down at the card, reading the details for the first time. Phil had been there when the two had visited us, and I knew he approved of Edward wholeheartedly as well. And he trusted Bella like she was his own daughter.

"They'd better not make us grandparents before we're fifty." I commented.

"I have a feeling they'll wait until after college before thinking about children," Phil mused. "They're still kids themselves. Even though they're kind of _not_."

"A lot of youngsters, boys especially are not interested in having families, but Edward seems like the type of boy who dreams of having a family, especially when it's with somebody he loves. He's so traditional. He's going to be such a great father."

My imagination raced as I pictured an adorable baby girl with bronze hair and brown eyes, just as wise as her parents. And possibly named after me…

Phil's lips twisted up into an amused smile. "Bella will want to take a break before having her own kids. I mean, after caring for you all these years, I'm sure she's exhausted."

" _Phil_!"


	3. Photo: Pregnant Woman and Little Girl

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
 **thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 3 (Photo of **Pregnant Woman and Little Girl** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella  & Edward  
 **Rating:** K  
 **Word Count:** 1162

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

"Momma, can we go to the lake today?"

I leaned down with a smile to kiss my daughter's forehead. She impatiently brushed me away, staring at me, wide-eyed with innocence and anticipation.

"Sorry, sweetums," I told her apologetically. "I can't take you there by myself."

Edward would kill me if I left the house without him. Especially in my condition.

"Daddy?"

"Daddy's at work today, remember? He'll be back later this evening."

"But he _never_ goes to work."

I chuckled and leaned back against the couch. Ren didn't quite understand the meaning of working from home. Since Edward was always around from the moment she woke up till the time she went to bed, she didn't understand what her father did.

Sitting at the piano and working on compositions were, according to her, "no work and all play."

But this morning, his manager had called him for a meeting. Apparently Edward had been offered a chance to compose the entire soundtrack for an upcoming movie, so he had gone to discuss the details with Kate.

"We'll go tomorrow," I promised her. "We just went there yesterday."

"But I want to go _today_!" she insisted.

"Tomorrow," I repeated firmly.

She gave a long-suffering sigh as though tomorrow the lake would look any different than it did today.

Ren's favorite cartoon came back onto the screen and I increased the volume for her. She immediately whirled around on my lap to watch avidly. For a few moments, I blankly stared at the television, my thoughts a millions miles away.

I had no idea how long Edward's meeting would last, and I didn't want to pester him with texts or calls either. This was a huge deal for him, and I was immensely proud of what he had accomplished so far.

His interest for music had begun since he'd been a kid, and that passion had grown into a talent as the years went by. Now, his music was extremely popular and well-liked as his career as a musician skyrocketed.

To be honest, I wanted to get out of the house too. It was a gorgeous day out, and though it would be sweltering, it would be worth it. Besides, who knew when Edward would be back? Maybe he could even join us later.

 _Going out to the meadow with Ren_ , I typed a text to Edward, hoping it didn't disturb him. _Will be back in an hour._

"Ren," I began once her show was finishing. "How do you feel like going to our meadow?"

She gasped. "The one you and Daddy made?"

Fighting back a grin, I nodded. Of course, Edward and I hadn't _made_ it. Edward had found it once on a camping trip with Emmett and had taken me there for our very first date. It was special to all of us now.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

I winced when she jumped enthusiastically on my lap. "Careful with Mommy, sweetheart."

Her mouth turned into an "O". She reached out to pat my bulging stomach apologetically and felt for any reciprocating pats.

"She's not kicking today." Ren pouted.

"I think she's tired," I smiled, running a hand through her hair. "Go get dressed. We'll leave in five minutes, okay?"

She streaked to her bedroom while I shuffled over to the bathroom for the twentieth time this afternoon. I packed some random snacks, knowing that even if Ren didn't get hungry, I sure would.

Luckily, the drive to the meadow was short because Ren was a ball of energy. She always was, but when she particularly excited about something, it was impossible to contain her.

"Let's go, let's go!" she shouted.

"Stay on the path," I called after her. Ren knew the trail to the meadow just as well as we did, so I was confident that she wouldn't get lost. We'd brought her here so often that it was now her "most favoritest place in the whole wide world".

"Yes, momma! Meadow, meadow, here I come…"

I trailed after her, listening closely to her delighted singing and cooing to keep track of her. Finally catching up to her, I found her standing at the opening of the meadow, frozen with her lips parted in awe.

"What's the matter? What—whoa…" I glanced up to find most of the meadow covered in candles, a picnic blanket, and _lots_ of food.

But there wasn't anybody else there.

"What the…?" My voice was nothing but a hushed whisper.

I shrieked when arms suddenly snaked around my waist. Very familiar hands caressed my stomach and Edward buried his face into my neck, kissing it softly.

"Don't _do_ that," I demanded, whacking his arm and trying to catch my breath.

"Well, hello to you, too," he purred.

"Daddy!"

Edward pulled away from me, leaving his hand possessively on my stomach. He knelt down in front of our daughter, laughing as she jumped into his arms.

"Hey, Ren."

"You're back!"

"Yes, my boss let me leave early, and I wanted to surprise you and Mommy."

"Did you get my popsicle?"

Edward grinned and pointed to the cooler sitting in the middle of the picnic blanket.

" _One_ only," he reminded her even though she wasn't listening anymore.

He watched her as she ran, squealing the whole way, to the meadow and threw open the cooler. As she puzzled over whether to choose orange or banana, Edward smiled up at me.

He grasped my hips and pulled me closer. Dropping his forehead on mine, he whispered, "How was your day?"

"Long."

"Mine too."

"How was the meeting?" I was dying to know whether he had decided to compose the soundtrack or not.

"Short, actually. It was over in an hour and gave me enough to buy all this." He gestured towards the picnic he'd set up.

"Yes." I narrowed my eyes at him. "And you managed to give me a heart attack too."

He leaned down to press a kiss over my heart. "Sorry, not sorry."

I huffed, settling down in the grass. "What did you decide?"

He grew a little hesitant, looking down and playing with my fingers. "I really like the movie. It's something I think I'll want to compose for."

I grinned widely, throwing my arms around his neck. "I'm so proud of you."

He hugged me back, being mindful of the big belly between us. "I haven't actually signed the deal yet, love. I wanted to get your approval."

"Of course I approve, silly! When does the soundtrack have to be ready?"

"In about… two months."

My breath caught. The baby's due date was in two months. So much happiness in one package.

I grinned to myself, patting my stomach. "Things have a tendency to work out. Like us."

I leaned back against his chest, stretching my legs in front of me. He stretched out too and together, we watched our daughter zoom around the meadow with her paper airplane and spill her runny popsicle everywhere.

Life was good.

* * *

 **AN:** Meh. I don't know. I prefer writing canon fluff to human fluff, but whatever.


	4. Photo: Lightning

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
 **thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 4 (Photo of **Lightning** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella  & Edward  
 **Rating:** K  
 **Word Count:** 1178

* * *

 **\- Edward's Point of View -**

* * *

"Bella's waiting for me, Alice."

"She'll survive, but I guarantee that you won't if you don't shut up and do as I say."

Sighing, I ungracefully threw myself onto the sofa and stared up at my sister with a resigned expression.

"What do you want?"

Alice eyed me with disapproval, placing her hands on her hips. "You could be a little more grateful and cooperative, you know," she huffed. "I _am_ planning your wedding, after all."

 _Don't forget that you have_ me _to thank. Bella was ready to go to Vegas, but I'm the one who convinced her to agree to a_ real _wedding. It's what you want too, even though you'll never admit it to her._

"Convinced her?" I snorted. "More like tricked."

She stared at me, a feral gleam in her eyes.

"Alright," I admitted. "I really do appreciate that you're taking the time and effort to plan this, Alice. And yes, of course I want the entire ceremony."

Her shoulders relaxed, but she still eyed me with distaste. She hauled me from the couch and led me into her and Jasper's room. There, she prodded and poked me with a measuring tape and scraps of black cloth.

As she noted the calculations in her mind, she grumbled to herself, "Honestly I could use a bit more appreciation. From _both_ of you. It's like you're not even interested in your own wedding."

My lips twitched. "Why do we have to worry when there's an expert to handle everything? But I'll be sure to pass that message along, dear sister."

She shoved me. "Get out."

My previous crankiness forgotten, I propelled myself out of her window, running straight to Bella's house. There was a heavy wind and droplets of water fell on my face as I ran. Unusual weather for this time of the year, but not surprising.

What _was_ surprising was that Bella's bedroom light was on. It was well after midnight and she should have been asleep hours ago. Her window was still pushed open all the way, and I worried that she may develop a cold.

I latched onto her heartbeat and steady breathing, knowing how limited they were. After making her my wife as per my wishes, I would do the unthinkable and turn her into a monster as per _her_ wishes. Why she would want to live for the rest of eternity as someone like me was beyond my comprehension.

My fiancée was stretched out across the bed, leaning back against a stack of pillows and focusing solely on the book she held in her hand. Her left hand played absently with the ends of her hair, and certain parts of the light reflected the ring that I'd managed to place upon her finger.

My lips curved at the sight of it. After my transformation, Carlisle had managed to salvage my mother's ring as well as many other heirlooms from my house in Chicago. I'd been holding onto this ring for several decades and finally, I found Bella. The satisfaction I felt at seeing it glimmer on her hand was indescribable.

"You're still up?" I asked quietly.

She gasped, slamming her hand down on the book when it slipped from her grasp. Wide-eyed, she turned to me and scolded, "You scared me!"

I hopped into her bedroom, shutting the window behind me. Charlie was sound asleep so I disappeared down the hall and opened the linen closet. Grabbing a few blankets, I breezed back to her room and carefully draped them over her.

I leaned down to brush my lips across her cheek. "I'm sorry. I hope you weren't staying up for me."

"No, I—" She cut off with a yawn. Blinking, she replied blearily, "I just couldn't get sleep with all the noise, so I thought I'd read for a bit."

She nodded to her window. The sound of the storm was muffled since I'd closed it, but it would definitely disturb her.

"Me neither," I offered with a grin.

She chuckled quietly and gestured for me to join her. I slid myself behind her and pulled her into my lap. I waited for her to shiver from the chill of my body, but she was wrapped so thickly in her blanket and the extra ones I'd brought that she didn't.

"Where were you?"

I soothingly ran my fingers through her hair, marveling at its softness. "Alice trapped me with some more dress fittings and other preparations. I would have called you, but I thought you might be asleep."

"Hmm. Alice is going a little overboard, isn't she?"

"Don't worry," I assured her. "You made sure she knows her limits."

"I wonder when she's going to trap me?"

"All of next week." I informed her. "She already has spa appointments ready."

Bella groaned. "Fabulous."

I laughed gently and kissed the back of her head. For a few moments, we were silent, lost in our own thoughts and absently listening to the howling wind from outside. There were even occasional flashes of lightning that startled Bella each time, so I hummed her lullaby softly to soothe her. I thought, from the sound of her breathing that she may have fallen asleep, but she seemed somewhat alert and smiling.

"Do you want to read some more?" I asked.

She yawned and handed me the book. "Will you read to me?"

"With pleasure."

She snuggled closer to me, curling up fully against me. I leaned forward to rest my chin on her shoulder and quietly began reading, my voice right beside her ear. Every time I moved on to the next page, I would turn my head slightly to kiss the sensitive spot, just below her ear, all the way down to the base of her throat. Initially, she complained sleepily that there was no way she would get sleep if I kept that up, but as the minutes ticked by, her eyes finally slipped closed and she went completely limp in my arm.

I rearranged her fatigued form on the bed, careful not to wake her, and ran to the turn off the light. By the time I returned and was adjusting the blankets around her, her lips started to move in a mumbled protest.

I stifled my laughter when she began to murmur about spa days and thunderstorms. I retracted my arm from her body, worried that she may start to feel cold again, but she determinedly scooted across the bed to drape herself over my chest.

Sighing, I stared up at the ceiling. She was incredibly stubborn, even in her sleep.

My thoughts wandered to our future. Soon, Bella would be like us, and these human necessities like sleep and eating were things _I_ would miss about her, even if she wouldn't. She would no longer sleep-talk either, and I would definitely cherish those memories forever. She would lose her humanity because of me, just so that she could spend forever at my side.

But if I was being truly honest with myself, I wouldn't have it any other way.


	5. Photo: Beach

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
 **thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 5 (Photo of **Beach** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella  & Edward  
 **Rating:** K  
 **Word Count:** 1729

* * *

 **\- Edward's Point of View -**

* * *

It was an extremely beautiful day.

Between us, my wife was the fan of the sun and its heat, but today I had special appreciation of it as well.

And it seemed that a lot of people felt the same way too because I'd never seen so many people in our apartment complex's community swimming pool before.

People of all ages were either splashing in one corner of the pool while teenage boys raced each other from one end to the other. Women mainly dozed off on floaties or relaxed on the lounge chairs, reading or listening to music. Some of the grandmas and grandpas were huddled together in the hot tub.

Everybody was taking advantage of this glorious day.

There was so much noisiness and activity going on that my daughter seemed less inclined and confident to continue her lesson. I knew that the audience, who really was minding its own businesses, was pressuring her.

"You can do it, baby," I encouraged, holding her tiny body afloat. "I'll catch you immediately."

She eyed me nervously, digging her fingernails into my forearm. Her entire frame was shaking, but I knew it wasn't from the coldness of the water.

"Okay," she mumbled hesitantly. "Let go."

"I won't let you drown," I vowed, slowly retracting my arm and letting it linger beneath her underwater in case she suddenly needed my help.

Which I seriously doubted.

My daughter had made admirable improvement in her swimming. We were only two weeks into the official lessons, and though we hadn't even practiced daily, I knew she would become a pro before long.

She was incredibly smart.

Just like her mother.

Keeping a mindful eye on my daughter as she floated on her back without any support, I smiled absently, letting my attention stray to my wife. Bella had been extremely supportive when I'd broached the idea of teaching our baby girl how to swim as soon as possible. Although she had left the teaching up to me, she would always sit at the lounge chairs, occasionally watching our progress.

But Bella had been called unexpectedly this morning for an urgent meeting, and I wondered if she would be able to make it before Renesmee and I went home.

"You're doing extraordinarily well," I praised seriously, hoping that with a boost in her self-esteem, she would gain a little confidence. My little girl really _was_ like her mother. "Keep kicking—gently—so that you won't go under. Your head is already starting to tip back."

Ren frowned solemnly at my instruction, attempting to propel her tiny legs back and forth.

"Let me help?" I requested, giving her a chance to relent.

She shook her head firmly, narrowing her gaze at the sky. I hung back, biting back a smile, and gazed on with growing pride as she used as much strength as she could muster to keep her weight from sinking.

"Brilliant," I burst out, after she tired herself out. I scooped her into my arm and planted a wet kiss on her cheek.

She clutched my neck. "Really?"

"Absolutely," I affirmed, grinning wide. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Uh-huh." She nodded enthusiastically. "Can we do it again?"

I chuckled. She would be tired again before we even started. "How about you rest for some time? Look, your friends just came."

Ren twisted in my grip to see her best friends, already dressed in their bathing suits, following closely behind their mothers as the gates swung open.

"Vera! Claire!" Renesmee yelled delightedly, scrambling out of my arms.

I watched carefully as she clumsily kicked herself to the edge of the pool, my hand outstretched to help if necessary, but she managed to heave herself out of the water without incident.

"Daddy, can I go to the other pool with Vera and Claire?"

Laughing, I swam over to her and ruffled her hair. "Alright, but be careful. Remember what happened last time you decided to jump straight in?"

"I had to wear that cast for a long time," she sulked, dragging out the word 'long' to emphasize her point. "I couldn't go swimming or ride my bike or play in the playground or do _anything_!"

I frowned at the unpleasant memory, but I trusted her enough to not make the same mistake twice. "Yes, so be safe. Call me if you need help, and wear the arm floaties at all times."

It was a pool specifically designed for the little ones, so my worries might have been unnecessary, except for the fact that Renesmee was _just_ like her mother.

Clumsiness and all.

"Yes, Daddy."

She took her friends' hands and eagerly led them to mini pool where they immediately began chasing each other around in the water. Henry, another one of her friends, struggled to bring over a beach ball that was thrice his size and remain afloat at the same time. I stifled my laughs when the ball slipped and bounced away from his tiny, wet hands and he went somersaulting underwater. The girls converged on him, giggling madly and extending their hands to help, which he took, blushing.

I sighed, deciding to do some laps while I waited for Renesmee to finish playing with her friends. As always, without my wife or daughter, I was completely lost. I needed my girls to even function correctly.

As I was on my way back from my thirteenth lap, my mind wandered to my wife. I had kept my phone nearby the pool to occasionally check for updates from her, but none had come. Her meetings weren't typically very long, and I hoped she would be back before I took Ren home.

She would be disappointed if she missed such a bright day, and a few hours relaxing at the pool would do her good.

She had been stressed lately, I knew. With her latest book in the final stages of editing, it was obvious that she was going crazy, and after next week, hopefully, she would be on her regular routine.

"Hey, husband," a muffled voice laughed above me at the same time I was tackled from behind.

I spewed water out of my mouth, shaking hair out of my eyes to rid the chlorine.

And felt myself grinning widely.

She had made it after all.

Evidently, she had stopped at home to change into more comfortable clothing. My gaze took in every inch of her, pausing to smile at the necklace I'd given her years ago that she'd decided to leave on.

"Sorry I'm late," she commented, absently tugging at a lock of hair. She'd twisted her long hair into a messy bun, a habit she'd developed ever since the hot season began. "I got back ten minutes ago and decided to bring some snacks for the kids."

I glanced over to the kids' pool. Our daughter was huddled around the table with her friends, devouring what seemed like watermelon and fruit smoothies.

Bella didn't get into the water, instead choosing to settle on the edge and dip her legs in.

So very frustrating, but I settled for the sneak attack.

I swam up to her, gripping her calves and stared innocently up at her, despite her narrowed eyes.

"No funny business," she warned.

I shrugged and bent to kiss her knees, hiding my smile. "How was the meeting?"

Though I wasn't looking, I could sense her rolling her eyes. "Carmen is silly. We still have two weeks until publishing, and she's getting all stressed out. I know she's worried about the whole profit and loss issue, but she's acting ridiculous."

"It will be a success," I promised severely, trailing my lips across her legs. I had to remind myself to keep it low-key because we were in public, but it was immensely difficult, as usual, to keep my hands off of her. "You're brilliant."

She laughed gently, running a hand through my hair. "You're just saying that."

I gently slapped her calf, admonishing gently, "You know that's not true." Bella always had, and would continue to have, a low self-esteem. It drove me nuts, but I supposed it was my duty to reassure her every day. "And I'm not the only one who thinks so."

Her cheeks glowed under my praise, and I grinned in triumph, lifting myself out of the water to press a quick kiss to her lips.

As water dripped off of me and onto her, she squealed and shoved me back into the water.

"How was swimming practice?" It was a thinly veiled attempt to change the subject, but I let it go for now.

"Amazing. She's making so much progress. She's such a wonderful student."

Bella glanced over, smiling and waving when she caught our daughter's eye.

"You're a wonderful teacher. I wish I could have seen it today."

"Next time," I encouraged. "I think we'll take a break for a few days and go next week again."

"She _is_ looking a little pruney," Bella agreed with a laugh.

"My hands are a little pruney too. So is everybody else here." I raised an eyebrow. "Everybody except for you."

Without warning, I grabbed her around the hips and pulled her body into my arms. Her surprised scream was cut off midway as we went underwater. She kicked and squirmed fruitlessly, gasping, more out of shock than actual lack of breath, at me.

"I love you?" I offered with a wide smile and keeping both my arms in a death grip around her waist.

She huffed, but the fight was already leaving her. She lifted her hands, lightly resting her palms across my chest, and met my gaze.

She was entirely soaked from head to toe, her hair slowly slipping out of her bun. Her lacy robe was clinging completely to her body, presenting me with a _very_ interesting view. Water droplets clung to her eyelashes despite her attempts to blink them away. Her feet kicked gently in the water to keep herself afloat, which was useless since I wasn't about to let her go anyway. And her lips were slowly curving into a radiant smile.

"Cheater," she murmured.

I dropped my forehead onto hers, "You're worth it."

She hummed back, and for a long moment, it was just two of us, getting our skin pruney in the middle of the swimming pool while the rest of the world slipped away.

* * *

 **AN:** Another all human one.


	6. Photo: Clock

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
 **thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 6 (Photo of **Clock** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella  & Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1310

* * *

 **\- Edward's Point of View -**

* * *

"Love?"

For a long time, she seemed to process the fact that I had even spoken. It had, after all, been several hours since we'd carried out an actual conversation. Majority of our night had been a mingle of harsh breathing, smothering kisses, and the beautiful music of our lovemaking.

At this moment, I was the most unmotivated and unproductive person in the world, and it didn't bother me one bit. Holding my wife close to me and immersing myself entirely in the sweetness of her scent, her taste, her softness… _her_ … it was complete bliss, and I was the luckiest person to have ever lived.

Even though it had seemed impossible before, I further tightened my arm around her midriff and buried my face into her thick tresses. She was curled up on top of me, completely relaxed and utterly silent.

She didn't move a single inch and her response was nothing more than a low hum. "Hmm?"

I hesitated, ghosting my fingers along her expanse of her spine. She started to twist, recoiling slightly at the tickling sensation, but I refused to let her move.

"Are you… happy?"

Bella didn't reply whether out loud or by lifting her shield. She remained frozen across my chest for a while before I felt her eyelashes tickling the base of my collarbone.

"What are you talking about?" Her lips were pressed against my chest, so her voice came out a little muffled.

I swallowed, staring up at the ceiling. "I— Are you happy with your life?"

Her head lifted and she propped herself onto her elbows, eyeing me seriously. Her long hair draped around us like curtains, but in my distressed state of mind, I was not as distracted by the sight of it as I normally would have been. "What's this about?" she demanded.

I rolled us over, pressing her onto the mattress and my weight onto her. Her fading-red eyes were wide and bewildered.

"Of course I'm happy," she continued softly, reaching up to run her fingers through my hair affectionately. I turned my face into her hand, rubbing my nose against her wrist, but she made me face her again. "You know that. Why are you asking?"

I dropped my face into her neck, avoiding her scrutinizing and perplexed gaze. "Just curious, that's all." I mumbled.

Bella was silent for several moments, and I could tell that her mind was a million miles away. She was trying to figure out my thoughts, and I didn't need my sister's visions to know that she would succeed shortly. My wife was extremely perceptive and could always correctly guess what I was thinking, as if _she_ were the mind-reader instead.

"You're not actually serious, are you?" she asked in surprise. "Do you honestly have to _wonder_ if I'm happy?"

I squeezed my arms around her tighter. "Yes… I—"

"Edward," she said quietly, cutting me off. "I have a feeling I know where you're going with this and it has to _stop_ alright? I have chosen my life, and I do not regret _one bit_ —"

"I know you don't regret anything," I quickly assured her, stroking her cheek. She was glaring at me. "I was just checking to make sure that you're… at least satisfied with the type of existence you've wanted. This is all so new for you, and of course, you're adjusting _brilliantly_ , but I wonder if you wish you had been able to further understand the complications that—"

Abruptly, she shoved me off of her and twisted us around to straddle my hips.

"Edward," she began fiercely, "I don't know how many times I have to tell you this before you finally believe me. I don't _care_ if we're humans, vampires or whatever mythological creatures may exist, or whether we even exist at all."

The idea of her not existing in this world made me cringe and I secured her body even closer to mine.

"Between marrying you and getting changed, marriage was the better choice." She smiled a little ruefully and grabbed my hands. "I know I made a big deal out of it before because of Renée's views, Charlie's disapproval and society pressure, but that was the bigger, the more _significant_ step I've taken in my life. I was ready to spend eternity with you, Edward, and if getting transformed was the only—a _possible_ —way to do it, I would sacrifice everything."

I curled my arm around her, gazing up into her eyes. "And you did." I said softly.

She shook her head, preparing to contradict me, but she changed her mind at the last minute. "You see, Edward, I later realized that my change was a necessity. There was no way I was going to live without you if I could help it. And if you couldn't turn into a human for me, I would turn into a vampire for you. _Marriage_ , however, was a choice. I could have rejected your proposal and gone straight to Carlisle, but I chose to marry you. So no, Edward, I can't be satisfied with the type of existence I wanted because I never _wanted_ any particular existence in the first place. I wanted _you_."

I lowered my gaze sheepishly, playing with her fingers.

"You obviously know," I began, "that before our marriage, I did not like the idea of you becoming like me."

She nodded grumpily. "All that nonsense about my soul."

"Yes…" I hesitated, wondering how to phrase it correctly. "I want you to know that, deep down, there was a part of me that _did_ wish for you to become like me."

She stared at me quizzically and a little shocked. "But all those arguments, the marriage and graduation condition… Why?"

"Because I was selfish," I replied simply. "No matter how much I argued, pleaded and requested you to change your mind about, or at least delay, your transformation, there was always the hope that you would eventually get your way.

She remained perplexed, arching a perfect eyebrow.

"I loved you too much, and I couldn't lose you," I explained. "I lived for almost a century without you by my side, and within our two-year relationship, I'd already almost lost you countless times. Some instances I might have lost you to death, and others to another… person. Your clumsy tendencies, or the van incident, or James, or Laurent, or Victoria, or Jasper's accident, or _my_ foolishness following that, or your cliff-diving spectacle, or the Volturi, or Jacob, or your pregnancy—"

"I get it, Edward."

"Right. There were too many possibilities that _already_ occurred of losing you forever, and if you remained human, they would have continued. Turning you like me would ensure that I got to keep you forever, and though I kept saying otherwise, it was what I always wanted."

Bella raised an eyebrow, a sly and teasing smile curving on her lips. "So you really _didn't_ care about my soul—"

"No," I almost shouted. "Forcing you to give up your soul was not a sacrifice I wanted you to make—I didn't want you to have to make _any_ sacrifices, like giving up your human experiences and family. But like I said, I was—am—the most selfish person to walk this earth."

Bella fell forward on my chest, pressing her mouth to mine. The kiss was so intense and distracting that I was startled when I felt her thoughts penetrate my mind.

 _Since I want the exact same thing, which is for us to be together forever, it's not_ possible _for you to be selfish. And though I wish you had told me all this sooner—it would have saved us a_ lot _of drama—thank you for finally telling me how you really felt._

Out loud, we chorused together, "I love you."

And we would, till eternity.

* * *

 **AN:** I interpreted the prompt as time and eternity, not a physical clock. Hope you liked it.


	7. Photo: Baseball and Mitt

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
 **thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 7 (Photo of **Baseball and Mitt** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella  & Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1139

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

"I'm kind of nervous."

"Don't let them hear you say that," Edward warned, shrugging out of his jeans. "Especially Emmett. He'll never let you live it down."

"Thanks for the advice," I grumbled, rotating to check my outfit in the mirror.

I was surprised to find that slacks actually looked presentable on me. The long jersey I wore slid below my waist, and I wore brand new tennis shoes. I didn't know why Alice had even bothered. They were all white _now_ , but I was sure that a few sloshes in the mud and quick running would dirty and wear them out soon enough.

And then she would just have to buy new shoes.

… Not that she would mind, I supposed, shrugging to myself. I was happy with whatever shopping Alice did for me as long as I approved it. Alice had been excited to "convert" me to the Cullen's ideal fashion sense, but I'd been adamant and she'd been persistent, so Alice and I had settled for an acceptable bargain.

I would let her waste all the money on me, buy anything and everything she wanted to shove at me, as long as it within _my_ preferences. She'd tried sneaking around it, sliding a piece of silky and embarrassing lingerie mixed with clothes I _did_ like and had hoped I wouldn't notice. Thanks to Edward's tip about recognizing the unique scent of each fabric, I'd caught the "stowaway" almost immediately.

"Don't worry," Edward commented, referring to my previous worries. "You know how to play; it's just a matter of practice. You'll be a pro in about thirty seconds."

"I wish I could feel as confident as you are." I sighed, tugging my hair into a baseball cap.

Alice had purchased that for me, too. I'd seen Cullen baseball firsthand, and obviously my hair needed to remain intact during the game.

As I continued to consider my newly developed baseball-game look, Edward caught me in mid-spin. Fully dressed already, he grabbed me around the hips and held me close. His eyes had been golden just a second ago, but they darkened with desire as he scanned me up and down.

"I have half a mind to pull you back to bed," he confessed huskily, extending his arms fully around my waist and pressing his chest against mine.

I turned back to face the mirror and raised an eyebrow at him from the glass.

"If you destroy any of my clothing, Alice will personally hunt you down and kill you. She's been waiting for my first baseball game forever. To buy the outfit, of course, but you'd better not make her mad."

Edward pouted, burying his face into my neck and squeezing my middle hopefully. "I can deal with her later. The game isn't for another twenty minutes…" He started tugging me towards the room, gazing at me pleadingly. "Please?"

I shook my hand, coming to a full stop and taking my hand back. "No way, Edward. Alice is going to kill you and then kill _me_ for allowing you to distract—"

My cell phone rang, cutting me off, and I shook my head when I saw who was calling.

"What, Alice?"

"Don't you _dare_ get distracted, Isabella Cullen. There's no point telling Edward to keep his hands off of you, because he never has and never will, but I'm asking you to show a little control here."

"Yes, ma'am."

"If I find one wrinkle on your clothes before the game starts, I _will_ murder your husband."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Also, you should switch the hair tie you're wearing for a clear one. The white one you have on now doesn't really look good sticking out of the baseball cap hole."

I sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

"Okay, bye!" She exclaimed cheerfully. "See you both in five!"

Alice would have my head, literally, if I didn't follow her fashion advice, so I exchanged the hair ties just as she had directed.

"Honestly," I grumbled, turning sideways to inspect my ponytail swinging lightly through the baseball cap. "It doesn't look that different than before…"

Edward was silent, leaning back on a chair, as he watched me adjust my hair in the mirror.

"You don't tie your hair up often," he stated, grinning widely and looking enraptured when I briefly modeled my new baseball look for him. "But when you do, it looks…"

He seemed to be struggling for words. His eyes roamed from my neck to shoulder to my ears and every inch of my face, most of which were typically covered when I let my hair down.

"Different?" I offered, self-consciously tugging at the end of my ponytail under his awestruck stare. "Unusual?"

"Sexy."

I rolled my eyes, grabbing his hand and easily hauling him up to his feet. We locked our cottage door and headed towards the river.

"You're a little biased, you know."

"I most definitely am not," he argued firmly, but his smile that appeared when he reached up to fondly pull at my hair contradicted his tone. "But you're _very_ obtuse when it comes to perceiving yourself."

We playfully bantered like this all the way to the baseball field where everybody was already waiting.

"Finally!" Emmett bellowed, grinning mischievously at us as we approached. "Do you two have a shred of respect for other people's time?"

"The game was set for another ten minutes," I reminded him pointedly. "So we're not late; you're just early. Why? Rose had enough of you already?"

Without waiting for answer, I flounced off to join the girls, leaving Edward doubled over with laughter over Emmett's speechlessness.

"You'll pay me back for that one, sister!" Emmett hollered from behind me. "Make sure you watch yourself carefully during the game."

Edward growled warningly, kicking his brother's shin, but I yelled back, "Don't make bets you can't keep! Haven't you lost enough?"

"Idiots." Rosalie rolled her eyes, watching our husbands wrestle while Jasper, lazily tossing a baseball up and down, stood over them and influenced their anger.

Esme sighed, crossing her ankles daintily. "The game will be over before it even started." She smiled up at me. "I'm glad you're finally playing with us, dear."

"The teams are even now." Alice agreed. "Esme doesn't have to referee anymore."

"Oh, yes, I do," Esme sighed, breezing over to the sparring match behind us. "Boys, enough already! And Jasper, you should be helping calm them down instead of making them more angry."

"Sorry, Mom," Jasper grinned, now staring at _her_ intently.

"Jasper Whitlock!"

I sighed happily, as Alice announced thunder in about thirty seconds and Carlisle called everyone to order.

Baseball had never been more fun, even on television. As Emmett cheated, Jasper messed with our emotions, and Esme reprimanded, I found myself having the time of my life.

I glanced around the field fondly. My family.


	8. Photo: Girl Alone

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
 **thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 8 (Photo of **Girl Alone** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella  & Charlie  
 **Rating:** K  
 **Word Count:** 1092

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

He had assured me that it would be as if he had never existed.

He could erase himself from my vision, my hearing, my smell, my touch, and my taste, but it was impossible for him—or anyone—to remove him from my memory.

 _Your memory is no more than a sieve_ , he had said. He'd been certain that since I was human, I would forget about him.

He'd promised to leave no physical traces of himself, and true to his word, I hadn't been able to find several of my possessions given to me by him.

He had been very thorough in his pledge to remove himself from my life, and he had been banking on my weak human memories to do the rest,

 _But_ my _kind… we're very easily distracted_ …

Having realized that I had been no more than a distraction to him… that there might have been and were possibly plenty other distractions to come… the agony I felt was indescribable. I thought that I'd known him better than that.

Most importantly, I was angry with myself for falling for it.

It wasn't his fault one bit. He'd been giving me all the clues right from the start. Warnings that it would be best if we weren't friends, but in my warped up childish fantasies, I had taken it to the next level.

I should have known when I'd gotten myself into this chaos. We belonged to two separate worlds, and I'd known all the facts from the moment Jacob had spilled the beans that afternoon at the beach. They had been playing roles in this—and every—society, and I had gotten myself mingled into their charade.

 _He_ would be able to forget me, that we were both sure of. He would live forever, and slowly, his short-lived, temporary and insignificant… _relationship_ with me would slip through his memory while newer and better ones replaced it.

It wasn't his fault.

His scent still lingered in my room. Several times, if I was entering it after a long period of time, I would catch a brief sweetness wafting in the air. Then I would automatically look towards the window, remembering all the nights he would climb through it and flash me his crooked smile, and wonder if he had decided to return to me after all.

He never did.

"Bella?"

I turned automatically, plastering a smile. "Hi, Dad. How was work?"

"Same as usual." He shrugged casually, watching me closely. He always watched me closely these days. "How did school go?"

"Same as usual." I wiped my hands on the towel. "Soup should be ready in about ten minutes, so… I'll just shower and be down, okay?"

"Yeah."

I heard him sigh lightly to himself as I trudged up the stairs. Everything was going slowly nowadays. Conversations, day-to-day routines, life overall…

Even my shower seemed to take decades. Or maybe it was just me. My daily drill was just that. Everything was so expected and monotonous that I had no desire whatsoever to proceed with life.

What was the point? The only joy in my life had left me.

As I toweled off and tiptoed to my room to change, Charlie's low voice drifted up the stairs and I caught snippets of his conversation with somebody on the phone.

"... just the same as before… no change… I'm worried about her…"

It didn't take a genius to figure out whom he was referring to, but I did wish that my life, or lack thereof, wasn't being so openly broadcasted.

"... tried to give her some time, hoping she'll snap out of it… it's like living with a ghost… should see her, Renée. She's completely empty… converses at the bare minimum…"

There was a long pause, and I began to wonder if he had hung up, but he spoke again, "Maybe that's best… fresh environment for a while… Forks is giving her too many bad memories… enjoy a few years with you down in Florida… I'll have to broach the subject slowly. I have a feeling she's going to refuse… you should also persuade her from your end… send her emails, call her regularly…"

Fear seized me instantly, and my fingers tightened around the railing.

He was going to send me to Florida? To live with Renée?

There was no way I was leaving Forks. It was foolish to hope, but if there were ever a chance of his returning—despite his vow—I wanted to be right here and waiting.

I took an automatic step backwards, and the floor creaked under my feet, unfortunately alerting Charlie to my presence. His conversation downstairs stopped abruptly, and I hurried to my room, gently shutting the door behind me.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later, Renée," he said, much louder this time for my benefit. "Take care of yourself, and say 'hi' to Phil for me."

I threw on some random clothes, and went downstairs for dinner. Charlie was hovering awkwardly as I robotically set the table.

"Soup smells good, Bells," he praised, like he always did at meal times.

"Thanks," I replied, not meeting his concerned gaze.

Before, dinners had always been uncomfortable since neither Charlie nor I were people of too many words. But now, they were absolutely unbearable since Charlie wanted to talk too much, and expected me to reply just as much. All we ever did now was talk about school and work over and over again. He seemed to have the sense not to bring up or _mention_ his name, even by accident.

"Your mom called," Charlie stated out of the blue, putting a little too much focus into his soup bowl.

"Hmm. Is she okay?"

"She's fine. Misses you a lot. Apparently you haven't been replying to her emails lately."

He glanced up to hear my excuse.

"I've been… busy with school." It wasn't even a lie. All I ever did these days was throw myself into my studies. No wonder I had perfect grades. "I'll email over the weekend."

Charlie sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Look, honey, she and I were thinking…"

Before I could allow him the opportunity to even refer to him in passing, I stood abruptly and stared down at him firmly. "It doesn't matter what you and Mom think, Dad, but I am _not_ going to Florida and there is nothing you can say or do that'll make me go."

I grabbed my bowl, dumped its contents into the sink, and stomped back upstairs. Away from Charlie.

Away from everybody.


	9. Photo: Hot Air Balloon

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
 **thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 9 (Photo of **Hot Air Balloon** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella  & Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1971

* * *

 **\- Edward's Point of View -**

* * *

"Movies?"

"No."

"Your meadow?"

" _Our_ meadow," I corrected automatically. Everything that was mine belonged to her, my heart included. "And no."

"Shopping?"

"... No. I'm not Alice." A smile started to spread on my face in my sudden excitement. "Unless you're finally over your aversion to receiving gifts… because I would _love_ to purchase for you this extraordinary diamond necklace I saw the other evening—"

Bella sighed and stared out the window, drumming her fingers across her thigh.

"Don't worry," I added, studying her tired expression. "You don't have to come inside if you don't want to. You can stay in the car."

The necklace I had seen online was gorgeous and would suit Bella extremely well. The pendant and chain were both very simple but dainty and sophisticated at the same time. Just like Bella. It would contrast beautifully with my favorite dark blue blouse of hers…

Interrupting me of my fantasies, Bella exclaimed, "No, I am _not_ over my aversion to shopping. Or receiving gifts. Or jewelry. And you must be the only male in any existing relationship who cares more about jewelry and accessories than the female does."

"Well, one of us has to care," I grumbled, pouting over at her. "You're no fun."

Bella smiled sweetly. "Sorry."

I sighed blissfully and took her hand. "Are you going to continue with your guessing game? Even though I'm _positive_ you won't figure it out."

She rose to the challenge. "A restaurant?"

"No."

"A concert?"

"No."

"A play?"

"No."

"Out of state? But the airport's the other way…" she murmured, almost to herself.

I hesitated. Bella had quickly learned over the course of our relationship that the romantic dates I planned with her were "extravagant" in her opinion, such as a sophisticated restaurant or a flight to New York. More than anything, she hated it when I spent money on her. It wasn't like my motive was to show off, but if it took a few thousand dollars here and there to make her happy, where was the harm in that?

Grinning slyly over at her, I commented, "We're not going to the airport. Your father would kill me—or try to anyway—if I flew you out of the state."

"He wouldn't be the only one," she threatened, leaning back in her seat, satisfied with my "reassurance". Her expression grew panicked all of a sudden. "Wait, you're not driving me to Canada or something, are you?"

I worked hard to keep my expression nonchalant. My earlier confidence in her inability to guess my plans was starting to wane.

"Of course not," I exclaimed. "You aren't even dressed properly for that kind of weather. But I'm up for a visit if you are. And we can pick up something for you along the way—"

"No!" She shouted. "Just… stick with your original plan."

"Yes, ma'am," I replied cheerfully.

I played with her fingers while I drove, basking in her presence. Her sweet aroma was now a permanent fixture in my car which pleased me greatly, and though her scent still caused my throat to erupt in flames, the urge to sink my teeth into her throat was now nonexistent. Having believed for twenty-four hours that she no longer existed in the world, in _my_ world, had greatly affected my relationship with her. Bella always stated that my control had been excellent to begin with, but I knew that only after meeting _her_ —and losing her once—did I truly gain the resistance. She gave me strength like no other.

"Are we there yet?" Bella demanded, sounding exasperated.

She watched curiously out the window as the buildings and factories gradually began to roll past the window, only to be replaced by the countryside with vast, lush green lands.

"You're taking me to… a farm?"

I stifled my laughter. "No. We'll be there in ten minutes or so. Be patient, beautiful."

"It's hard to be patient when you get like this. I wish you would just tell me where we're going, but _no_ ," she said sarcastically, dragging out the last word. "You have to make everything a _surprise_."

"Trust me, you'll love it." I lifted her hand to rub my cheek against the back of it.

"Pay _attention_!" she snapped, snatching her hand back and gesturing furiously to the road. "I don't want to die so soon."

I snorted. We were literally the _only_ population for another twenty miles, not including the nearby cows, pigs, and sheep that were grazing along the farms. Aside from my Volvo, there was not another car in sight. Or even anything to crash into.

"I'll never let you die." I vowed, knowing fully well that I would be breaking my promise and murdering her anyway once we were married.

The power she had over me…

My vampire eyes were able to pick up on the approaching figure of the balloon, but I wondered when Bella would notice it or if she would comment.

"Whoa!" she gasped after a few moments of silence. "What is _that_?"

"What?" I asked innocently.

She unbuckled her seat belt, perching at the edge of the car seat and squinting ahead. "Is that… that looks like… is that a _hot air balloon_?"

"Looks like it." I nodded, sounding just as astonished for her sake. "Let's go check it out."

Bella didn't protest when I maneuvered the car into the road that led to it. The closer we approached, the wider Bella's eyes grew. Her lips slipped into a perfect 'O' as she considered the balloon.

"Wow," she uttered. "And it's so beautiful!"

I grinned, delighting her in praise. I'd been doubtful about the color scheme, but Bella seemed to appreciate it.

"Um, Edward," Bella murmured nervously when I drove straight up to it and put the car in park. "I don't think we should… I mean, who knows whom this belongs to…?"

I did, obviously.

"Relax, sweetheart. Nobody's in sight." I flashed her a crooked smile. "I would know."

I hopped out of the car, trying to control my laughter at her panicked expression. My gaze was focused on my task, but I could feel Bella's gaze on my face as I rummaged through the trunk and took out the picnic basket, sunscreen, a straw hat Alice had kindly bought on my behalf for Bella, and two video cameras.

I deposited those items into the basket and went back to the passenger seat. Bella's expression show no more signs of anxiety. In fact, her eyes were starting to glint with a little anger.

"M'lady." I held out my hand expectantly.

She stared at me in silent fury, her eyes skipping between me and the balloon.

"I hate you."

"That's a shame," I responded seriously, leaning down to rub my nose along her neck. "Because now you're stuck in the middle of nowhere with someone who absolutely adores you."

Paying no mind to me, she shoved my hand away, correctly anticipating my plans to dazzle her. She leaped out of her seat and slammed the door shut behind her. I stared, wide-eyed and innocent, into her gleaming rich brown eyes.

"Have you lost your _mind_?" she shouted. "What was the need for you to rent—"

"Buy, actually—"

" _Shut up_!" She stomped her foot on the ground angrily. "You _know_ I how feel about your going overboard with everything that concerns me—"

"This is nothing, really," I insisted, reaching out with my both my hands to hold hers, which she yanked back just in time. "And you're exaggerating; I don't go overboard with _everything_ —"

"So you just had this _lying around_ in that enormous backyard of yours or something? Why do you always insist on going through so much trouble just for me when I _specifically_ tell you that I don't need—"

"It is _not_ trouble," I almost shouted, backing her up so that she was trapped between the car and me.

 _My_ eyes were now seething. Sliding a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet, I lowered my head and glared at her until she reluctantly met my gaze.

"First of all," I began, my voice suddenly softer despite the rage I was feeling inside. "You'll need to learn to get over your aversion to gifts and expensive things because after we get married, everything that belongs to me will be… _officially_ yours. No arguments. Second, I want you to understand that it is _never_ an inconvenience to spend anything — money, time, anything — on you. I know you don't believe me because you've got this ridiculous theory floating around in that mind of yours of being unworthy and insignificant compared to _everybody_ around you, especially me. But I swear to you, I will spend every day starting now till eternity reminding you are the _most_ precious person in my life, so you'll just have to get used to my showering you with presents. Yes, I am fully aware of how you feel about money being 'wasted', but if it somehow brings a smile to your face, then it's not a waste to _me_. I know you don't necessarily need anything, but I _love_ spoiling you and I must say, you don't let me do it enough."

Her cheeks were starting to grow hot under my hand, and when I pulled it away, I noticed that blood was pooling into her face.

"Edward," she mumbled, dropping her gaze to the ground. Her entire face flamed red, but I was too distracted by our conversation to worry about that. "You know that I appreciate everything that you do for me, even if I don't like it. Initially."

My jaw clenched. _I_ never did anything for her. She was the one always giving and never taking. And she honestly believed that _she_ was unworthy? How could she possibly not realize that she was the most beautiful creature to have existed? Beautiful inside and out.

"I know that. I know that you're still happy at the end of the day even if I don't take you out to a restaurant or buy you things you enjoy, but Bella, if there is anything I _can_ do to make you happy more than you already are, I will do it. Regardless of the cost."

I only existed to make her happy. Money had nothing to do with it. I wish she could see that.

She grabbed my shirt. "I know. You're selfless like that, but I'll never get tired of telling you that it's unnecessary."

"Not unnecessary to me."

She insisted, "All I need is you."

"I'm yours," I vowed, adding after a pause, "but I still get to gift you things, no matter what. And I promise I'll refrain from spending a _lot_ of money, if that makes you happy."

" _No_ money," she corrected firmly.

"What about the homemade and hand-me-down kinds?"

She eyed her engagement ring sparkling brightly on her finger. Her lips curved into a shy smile. "Perfect."

Sighing happily, I began to pull her to the balloon. It _was_ a start at least. In another five years, I was confident that she would get used to it.

She giggled when I scooped her in my arms bridal-style and jumped into the basket.

"Is there anything you can't do?" she asked exasperatedly as she watched me handle the mechanics.

I smirked over at her, gesturing for her to apply the sunscreen I'd brought along. "I can't buy you presents yet."

"Never ever, Mr. Cullen. And when did you take hot air balloon flying lessons?"

"Never ever. I'm learning as I go along, sweetheart."

" _What_?" she yelped.

I laughed gently, "Joking, love."

She nibbled on a granola bar absently. "How much did you pay for this anyway?"

I didn't need Alice to predict Bella's reaction to _this_ particular piece of information.

"... Er, I don't think you really want to know."

* * *

 **AN:** This was supposed to be a little fun one, but Bella's low self-esteem managed to worm its way in. Hope you enjoyed though!


	10. Photo: Paper

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
 **thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 10 (Photo of **Paper** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella  & Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1360

* * *

 **AN:** For the sake of this one shot, let's pretend that Bella never lifted her shield for Edward to read her mind at the end of _Breaking Dawn_.

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

"Keep your eyes on your own paper as there will be zero tolerance for cheating. You will have three hours from now to complete this examination. Good luck."

Three hours? I bit my lip, sighing in frustration. I could easily finish the entire exam paper in about ten minutes, but for the sake of appearances, I had to force myself to go slow. At least Edward was in the same room as I was, so once we were both done, we could both have whispered conversations under our breaths.

"Bella Masen," I whispered to myself with a smile and I printed it on my test paper. I liked it just as much as _Bella Cullen_. Both were connected to my Edward — one human, one vampire.

My full name was Bella Masen now, and it was so much easier to have people call me that, instead of having to correct them from using my actual name, "Isabella."

Edward had, of course, demanded that I either take Masen, Anthony or Cullen as a last name, because they were all tied to his identity, and I would have to wait several years before I could return to being "Bella Swan" again.

For now, I was completely happy with being a Masen.

Four desks diagonally ahead from me, Edward was bent over his paper, writing at the most normal speed and looking appropriately nervous. He drummed his pen against the table quietly, trying to give off the impression of reflecting over his answers. Through the sea of people, my sharp gaze caught onto Edward's jeans as his foot tapped on the floor distractedly.

He was so good at things like this. Appearing human. Lots of practice, I supposed.

In the initial stages after my transformation, I'd had to work extremely hard to fidget and act human. Despite the helpful tips from my family, I still needed constant reminders to be active. When I'd been human, watching Edward and his family still as statues on occasion had unnerved and fascinated me. Now that I was a vampire myself, I could relate to the habit of unnatural stillness even more.

I imitated Edward's movements, shuffling my papers around and regularly appearing bored or hopeless. For the first one hour of the exam, I practiced this, allowing myself as much time as possible and answering questions as slowly as I could. Instead of finishing the test in one go, I took breaks in between, taking about five minutes to stare off into space or at my husband.

Sometimes I caught him watching me, too, smiling adoringly and mouthing "I love you" whenever I met his intense gaze. His hair looked exceptionally good today, since he hadn't even bothered combing it. I'd always loved that disheveled look of his. The mussed up hair effect, alongside the dark circles under his eyes, gave off the impression that he'd stayed up all night, revising for the exam, and barely got two hours of sleep before rolling out of the bed.

Technically he _had_ simply rolled out of bed, but it hadn't been after two hours of sleep…

My teeth sank into my lower lip as I hurriedly reined in these thoughts. Thinking about my husband like that during an examination would do me no good, and the last thing I wanted to see was Edward's smug smile.

Distracting myself, I quickly returned my attention to the test and worked on it all the way till the end. Even when I went at a normal pace, I was still left with half an hour at my hands. Edward was already done, when I peeked a glance over at him, and was simply twirling his pen between his fingers and staring ahead blankly.

I relaxed in my seat, flipping my exam over to show that I was done, and immediately set my mind to something I'd been working on for a while.

After so many years of being a vampire, I knew my shield much better than before. Practicing with Zafrina and the incident with the Volturi when Renesmee had been born had allowed me to test out the features and limitations of my shield, and now I was so attuned that lifting my shield to protect others was almost instinctive. I'd been practicing almost daily with my family, extending my shield to block Alice's thoughts while Edward verified that her mind was blocked from his.

It was getting easier to lift my shield to include others for longer periods of time, but secretly I'd been working on lifting the shield away from _myself_.

It was so incredibly frustrating since it was my only defense. Its instinct was to protect my mind, so it took considerable amount of effort and concentration to remove that protection.

But I'd been practicing on my own, feeling the elastic band of my shield push itself away from my mind. I wasn't sure if Edward would be able to read my mind, since I could only know what was happening from my side, but I hoped that the progress I'd been making would allow that.

Now, I focused on the table, exerting all my strength to push my shield away from me. I felt the band stretch out, exposing my mind, but all I had to was test to see if it was working.

 _Edward_ , I thought hesitantly, watching his face intently.

No reaction.

With my sigh of frustration, I lost my concentration and the shield snapped back into place, protecting me once again.

This was a bad idea. In this flurry of students taking their exam, everyone's mind had to be racing. Of course Edward wouldn't be able to hear me in this crowd. Sure, it was completely silent in the room, but I couldn't imagine how Edward must be feeling with all the thoughts penetrating his mind.

I felt a rush of sympathy towards my husband and lifted my shield to block as many minds in this room as I could.

Edward looked up immediately, glancing around in confusion. I bit back a laugh at his expression, wondering if his first thought was that he'd suddenly become partially deaf or that his gift had stopped working. As he scanned the examination hall confusedly, he met my eyes and paused.

I grinned, and his eyes lit up in understanding.

"You're amazing," he whispered, too low for anybody to hear.

I rolled my eyes. Of course he would make this about me.

"Be quiet," I mouthed back.

Undeterred, he kissed the air in my direction, and I, momentarily distracted, gasped as he beamed in smug delight. The shield snapped itself back again, and once again, Edward was onslaughted with the sea of thoughts.

He shrugged easily, leaning his elbow on the table and propping his head on his arm. I hoped he wouldn't get in trouble for appearing like he was cheating, but he nodded at the invigilator who was half-asleep in the front of the room.

He continued to watch me, a crooked smile twisting his lips.

It occurred to me that I now had his undivided attention. Although he could everyone's mind once again, he was focused on me. Perhaps I could use this to my advantage.

I casually looked away from his disconcerting gaze and tried again to push the shield away from myself. Staring at the table, I thought directly at him, _Edward_.

I glanced up just in time to see his eyes darting around.

Excitement over my progress and amusement over his reaction rushed through me. He could _hear_ me! Of course he didn't _know_ that it was me yet, but he could just as easily read my mind as anyone else's.

My shield snapped back again, and I exhaled frustratedly, reminding myself not to get carried away and remain attentive.

At least my attempts were working. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to stifle my laughter at my poor husband's bewildered expression.

I'd promised myself that I would save up my favorite memories for his first time I _truly_ showed him my thoughts, but for now…

I leaned back into my chair, settling in for some live entertainment.


	11. Photo: Bride and Groom

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
 **thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 11 (Photo of **Bride and Groom** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella  & Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1901

* * *

 **\- Edward's Point of View -**

* * *

"Stop fidgeting, Bella," I implored, reaching out to keep her hands still.

She'd been worried all afternoon that Charlie was going to throw a fit, and though I agreed with her to a certain extent that having his beloved daughter get married at the age of eighteen would not sit well with Charlie, especially given his personal experiences with early marriage, I hoped that he would set aside his prejudices and accept the fact that I loved Bella more than my own life.

It pleased me that Bella's father looked out for her, and I didn't blame his in the slightest for his still-present hatred towards me for the incident last September. To his credit, he was unaware of the true details of my relationship with his daughter, so I couldn't very well explain to him that I'd abandoned his daughter because I was too dangerous to live—and love—her.

Yet, whatever feelings he would have regarding the news we were ready—at least _I_ was thrilled—to share with him, I sincerely hoped that he would look at our relationship as not a mistake, the way his had been.

"People are going to assume I'm pregnant, Edward," she'd argued, several days ago. "Mom, Dad, everyone in town—"

"Let them assume whatever they want, sweetheart," I'd assured her, sighing sadly at the fact that I never would have the ability to someday make that assumption come true. With every passing second I selfishly spent with her, she was making only more sacrifices for me. "And what does it matter in the future?"

She'd shaken her head. "I know I'm being silly, but if we could just avoid the whole drama that comes with it… Nobody gets married at eighteen, Edward."

"Of course they do." I'd replied promptly. "And age is just a number. Look at us, our relationship is strange enough, and I want to marry you as soon as possible."

Her cheeks had tinged pink with my completely honest declaration.

"Let me rephrase: nobody sane gets married at eighteen. What reason do people have for getting married at such a young age?"

"Love," I'd replied, nonplussed, while she rolled her eyes and snorted. "People get married because they _love_ each other regardless of how old they are."

She'd groaned. "Not _anymore_. You're impossible!"

I leaned forward to peer into Bella's eyes. They were filled with tension and anxiety, and I knew she was terrified of his reaction.

"Please try to remember," I said softly, letting my breath fan across her face, "that you're not confessing to a murder here."

She glared at me, trying to wiggle her hand free from mine. I refused to let it go, admiring the ring that sparkled beautifully on her finger.

"Easy for you to say," she muttered, eyeing the direction the door with apprehension.

Charlie's cruiser pulled to a stop outside the house, and Bella's heartbeat started to match the sound of his boots clomping on the gravel. Charlie's house keys jingled in the doorknob, and Bella's heartbeat went haywire.

"Calm down, Bella," I assured her quietly, a little concerned for her health. Perhaps we could this another day when she was mentally ready…

But it was too late since Charlie had already banged the door open.

"Hey, Charlie," I said loudly, getting his attention.

 _Oh, wonderful,_ came the sarcastic thoughts from my soon-to-be father-in-law. He had been making an attempt to put the past behind him, and he been considerably politer to me, but I knew that I would always remain the same in his eyes.

"No," Bella hissed, nudging me in the ribs lightly.

"What?"

"Wait till he hangs his gun up!"

I laughed softly, stroking her fingers affectionately. She was so endearing. The idea of Charlie shooting me was quite amusing. Well, at least his reaction afterwards anyway.

"Hey, kids," Charlie greeting, surprisingly addressing me as well, as he slumped into the living room. "What's up?"

"We'd like to talk to you," I announced, since Bella's tongue seemed to be frozen. She was gulping hard and her heartbeat was absolutely racing.

A burst of excitement swelled inside of me, and I felt the smile growing large on my face. Finally, the moment had arrived! I would be marrying Bella no matter what anybody said, but I valued Charlie's relationship with his daughter and found it only right that we had his approval and well wishes.

 _Well, that sounds ominous,_ Charlie pondered, looking suspiciously between the two of us. _Wonder what this could be about… Edward and his family are not moving again, are they?_

"We have some good news," I continued, flinching slightly at the understatement behind my words. It was more than just "good news." Bella and I were getting married. Finally, she would be _all mine_ for eternity. That revelation was a million times stronger than merely good news.

 _Keep it light,_ I reminded myself.

"Good news?" Charlie repeated, frowning at his daughter.

"Have a seat, Dad," Bella suggested nervously, extending a shaking hand to his recliner.

Beads of precipitation had started to form on Bella's neck and forehead. I wished I could help cool her down, but we were on a very important mission at the moment.

 _What on earth could they want to talk about?_

"Don't get worked up, Dad. Everything's okay."

I grimaced again, this time at _her_ word choice. "Okay" was not nearly enough a feeling to accurately describe the state of bliss I was currently floating in.

"Sure it is, Bella, sure it is," Charlie responded sarcastically, now noting the sweat on her face too. "It everything is so great, then why are you sweating bullets?"

Bella flushed deeply, blurting, "I'm not sweating."

 _What's going on?_ Charlie wondered, _Edward seems calm and casual — what's new? — but Bella's a nervous wreck. What could possibly be the—?_

"You're pregnant!" He bellowed, the thought just occurring to him. His face turned completely, just like Bella's face beautifully did whenever she got embarrassed, but Charlie was furious. His thoughts, already so incomprehensible, were more jumbled than usual.

 _I swear — my baby girl — too young — ruined — irresponsible — never trusted him to begin with…_

I was unsurprised to hear the words "kill him" from his mind, and I stifled a disappointed sigh. Charlie had every reason to distrust me for what I had done to his daughter, but I wished people in general wouldn't jump to the conclusion that a young marriage meant that the girl was pregnant. Didn't the simple but profound word "love" have any meaning anymore?

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" Charlie demanded, scowling in my direction. His fingers stretched towards his gun, and I heard the word "shoot" among his mental voice.

The thought of Charlie shooting me almost made me smile, but Bella and her father were both deeply distressed.

"No! Of course I'm not!" Bella shouted.

 _She's not pregnant… the way they're sitting and want to tell me… ominous… then what is the news?_

Charlie's heart rate slowed significantly, and with Bella's denial, he gradually relaxed visibly. His eyes were darting between both us suspiciously, but I remained serene as usual, silently urging Bella to do the same.

"Oh. Sorry." _You have no idea how happy I am to hear that._

Bella's heartbeat stuttered. "Apology accepted."

For a long moment, we sat expectantly in silence until Bella looked around nervously.

 _Well?_ Charlie demanded impatiently. _What's going on then?_

Bella shot me an anxious, wide-eyed glance, silently telling me that she wasn't able to tell the news.

I squeezed her hand assuringly and turned to face Charlie.

"Charlie," I began, making sure he was looking at me before continuing, "I realize that I've gone on about this out of order. Traditionally, I should have asked you first. I mean no disrespect, but since Bella has already said yes and I don't want to diminish her choice in the matter, instead of asking you for her hand, I'm asking you for your blessing."

Charlie's eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as he stared unblinkingly at me, and he wasn't sure what to think.

"We're getting married," I revealed finally, resisting the urge to grin hugely. Bella's heart raced at the word, while Charlie's completely stopped. I added softly, "I love her more than anything in the world, more than my own life, and — by some miracle — she loves me that way, too. Will you give us your blessing?"

Bella's father had shifted his incredulous gaze from me to Bella's face to Bella's ring finger. He eyed it, almost dispassionately for a while, his mind racing.

His face made an entertaining rainbow as it changed colors with his thought processes. Bella was worrying herself over her father's health, but I quietly assured her that he was fine.

Once again, I tried to catch tidbits of his thought process, hoping to get insight on how he was feeling. At this point of time, I wished Jasper was around to know Charlie's mood. _Too young — marriage at eighteen — making a mistake — my only daughter — but she's_ not _pregnant — love each other…_

The transition from furious denial to reluctant acceptance had been so quick in Charlie's thoughts that _I_ had barely been able to register them.

"Guess I'm not surprised," he mumbled eventually, surprising and relaxing both of us. "Knew I'd have to deal with something like soon enough. You sure about this?"

 _I_ hadn't ever been sure of anything in my existence as much as I was certain about marrying my girl, but the question was directed at Bella, so I kept my mouth shut with difficulty.

"I'm one hundred percent sure about Edward," Bella replied automatically, and I knew that this was her way of saying she was ready to be with me whether we got married or not.

"Get married, though?" Charlie demanded. "What's the rush?"

Bella only agreed to get married if it meant that I would change her as soon as possible. While I'd assured countless times that she would always be the most important person in my life no matter how old she was, she was determined to limit her days as a human, and I refused to change her before getting married. It was a complicated bargain that was beyond Charlie's understanding.

I explained, "We're going away to Dartmouth together in the fall, Charlie. I'd like to do that, well, the right way. It's how I was raised."

 _Old-fashioned morals, but I'm surprised he even has those… kids these days, especially boys, prefer living together without getting married… Bella and Edward… doing it the right way…_

"Knew this was coming," he repeated, sounding calm.

An image of Bella and me at our wedding floated up to his mind. I was at the altar, dressed in a black tux that contrasted with my pale skin, and impatient but standing confidently as I waited for my blushing bride. Our families and friends surrounded us, smiling and whispering, as they watched. Bella came around the corner, her arm linked with Charlie's, and each step they took was pictured in his mind. Finally, Charlie imagined himself placing his daughter's hand in mine, with the promise that I would look after his baby girl forever.

I sighed happily before pulling myself out of Charlie's mind to level him with a serious gaze and wishing _he_ was the one to read minds at the moment.

 _Forever_ , I vowed.


	12. Photo: Smoker

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 12 (Photo of **Smoker** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Emmett  
 **Rating:** K  
 **Word Count:** 2365

 **AN:** I've never tried writing from Emmett's point of view before. Hope it turned out okay! (I think I might have taken him too far.)

* * *

 **\- Emmett's Point of View -**

* * *

Eddie boy is positively frantic.

I mean, his girlfriend's a human, we _get_ it. It turns out _he_ doesn't realize it, because he's freaking out over some completely normal human sickness she developed.

Just take her to the hospital. It's practically her second home anyway.

Forget about sickness, I'm more surprised that the girl even stayed _alive_ this long. Apparently, not all humans are as klutzy as she is, and she just has a knack for attracting danger.

The way she attracted Edward.

The guy is a _vampire_ , for crying out loud. In a normal situation, he's supposed to eat her, not make out with her. Especially in their case, Bella's blood 'calls' or 'sings' or 'lures' — or whatever the heck it does — to Edward's thirst. Her blood is more appetizing to him than anyone else's. But instead of snuffing her out like I suggested from the very beginning to avoid this whole drama, the poor guy fell in love with her instead, so now he has to force himself to not think about ripping her neck open every time he kisses it.

"Chill, bro," I mutter, keeping my gaze on the television. It isn't the first time I've wished that they broadcast vampire baseball which is so much more entertaining than regular human baseball. Maybe our family can audition… "She'll be alright. Just take her to Carlisle if you're so worried."

At first, I had doubts about the girl, wondering if she was trustworthy. No human is allowed to be aware of the existence of vampires, and besides, which human in their right mind would want to be even _involved_ with vampires?

This just goes to say that Bella isn't in the right mind.

But I'm actually glad that Edward didn't snap the girl's neck in class that day. Despite her odd tendencies to fearlessly mingle with vampires, she's pretty cool. And highly entertaining when she trips over thin air and falls down.

"Carlisle is at _work_ , Emmett," Edward snaps, running his hands through his hair and unintentionally creating that tousled hair look that hormonal human girls fawn over. It just makes _me_ wanna puke. "And he doesn't have a break for another three hours."

I stare at him, not understanding the reason behind his stress. "So just go after that…"

He groans, pressing his hands to his temples the way he always does. "I can't just sit and watch her be miserable until Carlisle's free to examine her."

"Edward," Rosalie complains, "it's just a cough. Stop acting so pathetic. If you can." She adds under her breath.

"Bro," I say slowly, "I think you forgot in your state of mind that you've been to medical school twice… Why don't you just check her over yourself?"

"I already did!" He shouts, abruptly furious with our lack of appropriate reactions. "But I have no idea what type of medicine to give her. That's why I want to ask Carlisle. She doesn't have any at home either, and though she _says_ she'll be fine—"

"If she says so, you might want to listen—" Jasper interjects helpfully.

"Bella is incredibly stubborn and refuses to come across as weak—"

"She's not the only one like that," Rose mutters.

"But I'm going to the pharmacy to pick up a few things for her. If Carlisle happens to call home, tell him I need to speak with him urgently."

"What about Bella?"

Edward looks conflicted. Alice is Bella's best friend and would have happily gone to give Bella some company while Edward purchased the medicine. But Alice went hunting with Esme this morning and they wouldn't return for several hours.

"I suppose I could leave her at home for a while…"

"Can you?" Rose spits, irritated by Edward's fixation towards the girl. It's no secret that she despises Bella. I rub my arms soothingly along her shoulders.

"How about I go?" I suggest, much to the alarm of everybody present.

Edward looks thunderstruck. "Excuse me?"

Rosalie is shooting me daggers as well.

"Not to her _house_!" I verify quickly, blanching at the thought of being alone with and so close to her. I am fairly confident that I can resist her blood, especially since I didn't feed in almost a week, but I don't want to put her at risk either. "Yeesh! I'll go to the _store_ for you. Pick up anything she—you—might need."

Edward looks relieved. "You'd do that? Thank you."

I'm glad I made the offer. A panic-stricken Edward is too annoying, and if he goes to the store, he'll probably check up on Bella every five minutes and piss her off too. At least now, he'll be able to be with her and annoy her in person. Besides, I have nothing better to do at this moment, and it'll pay off when I'll get to tease Bella about her chronic illnesses later.

Edward is abruptly angry. "You will do no such thing."

"Mind your own business, Eddie." I roll my eyes, grinning when Rosalie snickers at the pet name. "This is between Bella and myself."

He shoots me another warning glare. "Well, get going then. And bring the medicine to Bella's once you're done."

 _What, you meant_ now _?_ I demand incredulously.

"No," he retorts sarcastically, throwing his hands up in the air dramatically. "Let's wait for her to die—"

"She's not going to die from a minor cough, brother. Honestly, who gave you, not one, but _two_ medical degrees? You wouldn't have the appropriate state of mind and temperament to deal with patients the way Carlisle does."

"Go!"

Sighing, I heave myself off the armchair, press a quick kiss to Rose's cheek and drive to the nearest drug store in town.

 _This is turning out to be more fun than I anticipated_ , I think appreciatively.

The cashier, a gangly teenager wearing spectacles that are too large for his face, glances up from his comic book, startled, when I push the door open with a little more force than necessary.

"Evening, sir," he squeaks.

I take a deep breath, testing out his scent. No major temptation. Good.

I peer into the sky, then smirk back at him, "Evening? It's only noon."

I was briefly concerned about the sun — we skip school on sunny days for this precise reason — but I was lucky to find a shady parking spot.

"Yes, sir," he stutters, "Sorry, sir."

I chortle to myself as the boy's heartbeat goes whacko. Am I really _that_ intimidating?

Taking my own sweet time, I browse through the aisles with a mixture of growing interest and repulsion. Most of the items stacked up on the shelves are useless to vampires, and Alice does all the necessary shopping for our family anyway.

Still, the rows of makeup, toiletries, medicine, magazines and other miscellaneous objects fascinate me.

Even though I don't need one, I seize a basket anyway to keep up the appearances. Carlisle is very strict about acting human in public, and Rosie hates it when we have to suddenly pack up and move because someone screws up.

I start with the medicine, eying the different brands of cough medicine. It's impossible to choose one from the varieties and criteria available. Syrups, tablets… cherry flavor, grape flavor… mild cough, severe throat pain…

I'm not sure which one would do the trick and cure Bella's sickness (and calm Eddie boy down), but if I selected the wrong medicine, her overprotective boyfriend would never let me hear the end of it.

Shrugging, I toss one of each into the basket and move along. I throw in a few magazines for good measure. Apparently when humans are sick, they want to simply lie around and do nothing tedious. Watching movies, reading, listening to music…

 _That's everything_ , I think to myself, pleased with my selections.

I start towards the checkout counter, only to catch sight of soda and chips on a nearby shelf.

Bella seems to enjoy those, as she regularly purchases those for lunches at school, much to Edward's displeasure over filling herself with "fizzy drinks and junk food."

Ah, well. If Bella really is sick, Eddie might want to temporarily let go of his never-ending advice and opinions to indulge Bella (more so than usual) until she gets better. Nodding convincingly to myself, I fling a few cans of soft drinks and extra large size bags of chips into the basket.

Eddie can just sulk… which he does, regardless.

A colorful display of chewing gum diverts my attention and I inspect the packets, a little fascinated. My nose wrinkles, however, as I read the flavors. I am not aware of which flavor Bella has a preference to, so I grab one of everything and add it to my purchases.

 _Might as well gift her a few chocolates while I'm at it_ , I shrug, knowing how chocolate seems to be a popular food appreciated by almost all humans. I select one packet of each brand of candy and chocolate from the racks, and move along.

By the time I'm all finished, half an hour later, my basket is overflowing with a little bit of everything I laid eyes on in the shop.

Of course, I didn't go overboard. I only bought things I was certain Bella would make use of.

The cashier's eyes are wide with stunned disbelief as he scans the frozen, packaged and microwavable soup (and other kinds of food), candies, chocolate, medicine, magazines, crossword puzzle and sudoku booklets, a GET WELL SOON card, several rainbow markers (for the Cullen family to sign the card, obviously), a new pair of headphones, some face powder and basic makeup (so that she can be sick in fashion), junk food, a pair of socks, some random DVDs (Edward can loan her his laptop), water bottles, sparkly pens and a fuzzy notebook (I don't know if Bella keeps a diary, but maybe she can write down her feelings and experiences during her sickness, so that she — and I — can read it in the future and laugh), a bigger notebook (in case she runs out of pages from the first one), a heat pad, a portable massager, all the newspapers from the past week (just because she's sick doesn't give her the excuse to remain oblivious to current events), a box of Band-Aids, two ice packs (although she _technically_ doesn't need any since Edward is her ice pack twenty-four seven), popcorn, spare batteries, some shampoo (gotta stay hygienic!), several feminine products, and a lottery ticket.

"Is…" The boy begins hesitantly, using thirteen bags to fill in everything I bought, "that all you need, sir?"

"Yep," I reply brightly. "That'll be all, thanks. How much?"

"Two hundred and fourteen dollars?"

I swipe my card easily, stifling my laughter as his heart begins to race. He doesn't meet my eyes when he hands the card back.

"Can I help you to your car with the bags, sir?" he mumbles.

The guy is so skinny, his arms are like twigs. One bag, and he'll collapse on the floor. Then I'll be arrested.

"Nope, I got it. Thanks, bro."

His eyes bulge at the name, but I'm already hefting the bags in my arms. They weigh, like, feathers. Or air.

"See you!" I call back cheerily, throwing a smile over my shoulder. Nice kid.

He waves back mindlessly and I load the bags into the car, glad I decided to drive, not run. The trip to Bella's house is short, thanks to my awesome driving, and I pull up into her driveway five minutes later. Chief Swan is not at home for which I'm thankful.

I can hear Bella's heartbeat and her footsteps coming closer to the door. She pulls open the front door and smiles widely at me as I hop out of the car.

"Hey, there," I grin, pulling her into a bear hug.

Edward is, obviously, right behind her and watching me irritably from over her shoulder. "Took you long enough."

"Don't be mad, bro. I picked up a few extra things."

Bella looks between us, confused. "Is this about the cough thing? Edward, I told you, it was nothing."

Her voice sounds pretty normal. I start to wonder if Edward really was exaggerating. It wouldn't be the first time, especially when it concerns Bella.

He glowers at me and rubs an arm on her shoulder comfortingly. "I just wanted to be prepared. The weather is changing, and it won't hurt to have some things ready. It's just cough medicine Emmett picked up anyway."

"And a few extra things…" I repeat with a murmur, heading back to pull open the trunk.

Bella rolls her eyes and sighs in defeat when I hand her a bag. "Oh, Emmett, you shouldn't have. I hate that you went through so much trouble just to get… What in the—?"

Her mouth falls open when she peers into the trunk. I can see her counting the bags incredulously and the plastic bag she's holding slips through her fingers. Edward catches it immediately, equally shocked by the amount of purchases I made.

"Emmett!" he exclaims, "What is all this for? I just said to buy cough medicine."

"Well, knowing you," I shoot back, "you'll probably get mad for neglecting something, so I just bought what I thought might be useful. Plus, those sparkly pens were on sale, bro. They're even fruit-scented or something like that. They're in _that_ bag, Bella, if you want to check them out."

Bella tentatively opens each bag to look inside, so hesitantly as if she's afraid something might jump out and _bite_ her…

Edward hisses, not appreciating the pun.

"Man," I complain, "I'm outta here. First, nobody appreciates all the thoughtfulness I put into buying all this human junk, and second, I can't even make jokes around here. Later, lovebirds."

I hoist all the bags in one go, dump them on Bella's front porch and ruffle her and Edward's hair as I pass by.

As I drive away, I pat my pockets, feeling the case in my jeans. I have a few human products I'm eager to test out tonight, I muse, anticipating my experiment with the cigarettes I bought earlier…

* * *

 **AN:** I kept reminding myself to get to the point of the prompt (smoking) and mention the cigarettes already, but Emmett just…  
I will continue this sometime later. Hang in there.


	13. Photo: Couple Playing Guitar

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 13 (Photo of **Couple Playing Guitar** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella, Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1145

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

"Why don't you just save me the trouble of feeling surprised and tell me that you're good at everything?" I demanded, a little frustrated and disgruntled by his smug smile.

"It's never a trouble to surprise you, beautiful," he replied smoothly, nuzzling his face into my shoulder. I felt my breathing hitch. "Although you don't let me do it often enough."

"Because it's unnecessary," I insisted, but my voice was so weak that there was no point to my argument.

"Hmm." He buried his head into my neck, inhaling deeply. "You seem to be under the misconception that all these things just _came_ along with my transformation."

"No," I disagreed, shoving his face away otherwise I'd never be able to utter another word with him kissing me like that. "I know that musical and all your other capabilities weren't automatically part of the vampire-package deal."

"I was only able to acquire all these talents, and explore my interests and hobbies because I had nothing else to do. Being alone for about a hundred years gave me a _lot_ of time."

"But you weren't alone for _all_ hundred years," I said doubtfully. "Your family, and initially you must have struggled with your thirst…"

He grimaced, zipping up his guitar in its case and setting it beside my picnic items. This afternoon had been so perfect. I'd been serenaded by my fiancé while eating a healthy and delicious array of lunch items that Esme and Edward had prepared together.

I'd felt a little guilty about making Edward's mother go through all the hassle for me, especially when none of them ate anyway, but she'd rebuffed all my apologies. Though the smell of food was unappetizing to them as always, Esme said she was getting better at holding her breath and ignoring it. In fact, cooking was becoming her newest interest, now that she had a human to actually test out her recipes; me.

Edward took my hand, carefully pulled me to my feet and led me to a nearby tree. He spread the picnic blanket for me to sit on, then gently leaned me against the bark. Apparently not caring about the stains he would receive on his pristine and designer clothes, he stretched out on the ground, dropping his head carelessly on my lap.

"Yes," he began quietly, not meeting my eyes and reaching up slightly to twirl the ends of my hair between his long fingers. "The first few years were the hardest. Carlisle was constantly hovering over me, and I had to feed continuously. Especially, when I was a newborn, I had just discovered my gift, so I was adjusting to being around people and crowds. And some time later, I made it even more difficult by going off on my own."

I fingered his hair concernedly, fixing him with an anxious gaze. Apart from Jasper, I personally felt that Edward had had the most trying experience with managing his thirst.

"During your 'rebellious' years?" I verified. Edward had abstained from the lifestyle Carlisle had created, and had left Carlisle and Esme to hunt people.

Edward dropped his gaze, looking ashamed. He nodded lightly. "Well," he amended, "not so much those years, but the decades following my return home. I was a newborn all of again, but much worse, since I had tasted human blood and known what I was missing."

He looked at the ends of my hair he was playing with thoughtfully.

"To answer your original question, yes. I had a lot of free time even though I was surrounded by so many people. After me, Esme came, and I often helped and looked after her during her newborn phase. Then Rosalie came, then Emmett, then Alice and Jasper. Our family definitely expanded, and I could spend time with them too, but… _nights_ were usually spent in solitude.

He flashed his crooked grin at me, and I blushed.

"You'll get there too," he assured me. "After your newborn phase — and I'll be there with you _every step of the way_ — you'll have the time and _mind_ to find new interests. Our minds are limitless, we're always curious and thirsty—excuse the pun—for knowledge."

"And that photographic memory is a pretty handy thing," I pointed out.

"There's that," he agreed. "There's so much to learn, and we have the speed, time, _and_ capacity to fill our brains with every possible bit of knowledge and education. You can probably major in a language overnight, write a novel in three days, and read an entire library in a week."

I groaned, dragging my hand across his face to cover his eyes. He toothy smile was all that was visible on his face.

"Don't fill my mind with all these fantasies. I'll still have to wait two years until my newborn phase is over."

"Well, you're not be _constantly_ feeding during that time." He lifted his hand and slid mine down from his eyes to mouth to kiss my fingertips gently. "You'll have plenty of time to do other things, but controlling your thirst will be the priority for sure, yes."

Holding his face, I leaned down, draping my hair around his face to form a curtain, and kissed him sideways on the mouth. He grinned under my lips, stretching his arms up to cradle my head as well.

"I have another priority in mind," I whispered, exhaling lightly on his lips. "And it has nothing to with my thirst."

 _Hunger_ , actually, I thought slyly.

Edward felt that during my initial years, I wouldn't feel much besides thirst for blood, which was why I'd demanded a real honeymoon right after our wedding, but with Edward's declaration now that I wouldn't feel thirsty twenty-four seven, I was looking forward to the prospect of exploring our intimate relationship together then.

This time, Edward groaned, pulling away to turn his face into my stomach. "Now it's your time to not fill _my_ mind with any fantasies."

I snickered, threading my fingers through his disheveled bronze hair and mussing it up even more. "I'm not sorry."

"I know," he replied, his voice muffled by my shirt fabric. "You're a temptress, and I'm the poor, unsuspecting victim you lured in. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Laughing gently, I rested my head back against the bark, letting my eyes slip closed as Edward began to softly hum my lullaby under his breath.

The meadow was beautiful, of course, and though we were sitting in the shade provided by the tree, the lush grass and colorful wildflowers beyond the shade were illuminated beautifully by the sun overhead.

Small rays of sunlight peeked through the leaves, letting rainbows dance across Edward's face and arm. I stroked the glittery appearance in awe, waiting impatiently for my time to come, when I could stand beside Edward and actually feel like I belonged there.

Soon.


	14. Photo: MOTEL Sign

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 14 (Photo of **MOTEL Sign** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella, Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1199

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

"Are you ever going to tell me where we're going?" I pouted.

Edward laughed cheerfully. I'd never seen him this relaxed before. He looked so carefree and young as he casually gripped the steering wheel. The windows were rolled down, and his hair went wild with the wind blowing.

"Eventually. I don't want to tell you the location, but just know that we will be staying there—somewhere—overnight."

My mind picked out the word with surprise. _Overnight?_ My imagination raced as I pictured some of the… overnight activities he had planned for us.

 _Don't be silly_ , I chided myself. Of course he planned for _that_ kind of activities. For all I knew, the most interesting thing that could happen tonight would be getting up at two in the morning to pee.

I had agreed to marry him for heaven's sake. And Edward was traditional in every sense that I knew him.

My fiancé seemed to know where my thoughts were for he gave an exasperated look. "Don't test my self-control here, love. It's hard enough to control myself _now_ when your hair keeps flying around your face and makes you look so beautiful—"

 _What?_ All this time we'd been having matching admiration for each other's hair… Kill me now!

I automatically grabbed my hair and tried to gather into a ponytail. The heat rose to my cheeks, but I downplayed my self-consciousness as best as I could. "Well, _you_ opened the windows in the first place."

"I was enjoying it," he admitted, glancing over at me. His gaze roamed across my hair which I tugged at, blushing like crazy. "Especially when it kept brushing against my arm. I almost lost control of the car at one point."

"You seem to be losing a lot of control here," I mused, secretly thrilling over the fact that _I_ had almost made him lose concentration while driving.

Edward Cullen, the supreme driver ever—fast, and annoying, but careful. I marveled over the possibility that I might actually possess the ability to distract him.

Edward misinterpreted my observation. "Bella, I promise I'll keep you safe."

I rolled my eyes. "I know."

He seemed pleased by my unwavering confidence and trust.

"So what exactly are we doing then?"

He sighed, "You're relentless, aren't you?"

I snickered. "Is that a rhetorical question?"

"I suppose not," he conceded with a fond smile. "We're going to a motel for the weekend."

My eyes widened in surprise. It definitely sounded appealing. A cabin, just for the two us, the entire weekend, no interruptions, no hovering father, no vampires with super-hearing…

Yes, I nodded approvingly. Definitely tempting.

He flashed his crooked smile at me. "You're cooking up something, aren't you?"

I lifted my hands up innocently. "I swear, no! I promise I'll be on my best behavior. It's not like you'll let me be otherwise."

He laughed, taking the exit. I watched curiously as we approached a residential area, filled with a few stores and several apartment complexes.

"This is it," he announced. I sat in the car while he took our bags and went to check in.

Now that Edward and I were in our pre-wedding stage, both of our families were becoming a little overwhelming. Charlie was moody and broody throughout the day since he still wasn't so keen on the idea of us getting married. Renee, obviously, wasn't here, but she called so often every day, either to my or Edward's house, to gush over wedding details with somebody.

Alice was persistent too. Being the sole planner of the wedding, she had been going nuts trying to get everything organized and ready. Most of the time, she complained about how slowly the planning seemed to be going since she had to rely on humans for the many different services, like catering and floral arrangements. If she had all the materials at her disposal, I'm sure everything would have been set up overnight, and Edward and I would have already been married.

Esme also put as much help as she could, but Alice completely in charge.

As usual.

Edward and I had barely spent time together in the past few weeks, getting dragged from one side of the house to another to try—and retry—dress and suit fittings. I didn't know why she even bothered with Edward; it wasn't like _his_ size was ever going to change.

The only time I could count on Edward being there was at night when he slipped through my window and held me as I slept. Since I would be changed, sleep wouldn't be an element in my future life, so I was eager to savor the experiences while it lasted. I knew Edward was going to miss watching me sleep too. My sleep talking was a never-ending source of entertainment to him.

 _That_ I couldn't care less about.

"All ready."

Edward had returned, opening the passenger door for me and excitedly leading me inside. I simply smiled and went along with his enthusiasm. It was contagious.

"Just one bed for the two of us?" I teased once we were inside.

"Yes," Edward said with a smile that almost looked shy. "I plan to share."

I laughed, and he pulled me along for a quick tour. The kitchen, I noticed, had been well stocked up for me, and I wondered if he had come here—or sent someone else—to personally to set things up.

Much to my relief, it was a simple cabin, and as far as I could see, no additional or unnecessary features had been added just for my entertainment, like a zoo in the backyard or an indoor movie theater.

I reached up on my toes to wrap my arms around his neck. "Thank you." I kissed his nose then his lips quickly. "I love it."

A look of deep relief crossed his face. "Really?" He seemed to be assessing my reaction carefully. "You're not going to say that I went overboard?"

He knew me too well, I grinned. "Well, it is still a little unnecessary, but you didn't go completely ballistic with the planning. Everything is simple and sweet and comfortable."

He crushed me to his chest with a wide grin. "You have no idea how much this means to me. This means I can spoil you more often."

"As long as it's within reason," I reminded him. "And not _too_ often."

"What's your definition of 'too often'?"

"Every week."

He smiled. "Every two weeks then. That's a compromise right there."

I groaned. "You're unbelievable. Every two weeks is too often."

He shook his head adamantly. "You said _every week_. No backing out."

Suddenly, he scooped me in his arms and carried me to the bed.

I picked at his shirt, embarrassed. "What are you doing?"

"Practice, of course."

"For?"

"The big day… night, I should say."

"Like you need to practice," I scoffed and he grinned. "And I thought we were going to be on our best behavior."

He placed me in the center of the mattress, hovering over me carefully.

" _You_ promised that, but I didn't."

"No fair—" I protested.

His mouth silencing mine was the last thing I knew.


	15. Photo: Couple on Bench

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 15 (Photo of **Couple on Bench** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella, Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1317

* * *

 **\- Edward's Point of View -**

* * *

I never thought I'd admit to enjoying school, especially being a vampire now, but Bella had made me look at life in newer perspective.

Of course, the entertainment itself that I found in school was _her_. What other element of school could possibly hold my attention—and interest—besides her?

She was single most fascinating creature to have ever existed.

Right now, she was sitting four classrooms away in Trig with Jessica, and the distance between us would have caused me utter agony had it not been for the mantra I'd been repeating in my head ever since I'd last seen her.

 _Half an hour_ , I chanted to myself, my eyes flicking to the clock anyway. _Then we have lunch together. And then Biology. And then the rest of the afternoon…_

That, and the fact that I could always "spy" on her when she was in a class different from mine. Naturally, she hated it because she was prone to making a fool of herself, more so in Gym class, but to her great comfort and my utmost displeasure, I could only the read the minds of people surrounding her.

What _was_ it inside her pretty head that shielded her thoughts from mine?

My eyes desperately searched out the clock again, and my fingers incessantly tapped the pen against the table. My neighbor shot me an irritated glance as he tried concentrate on the silent reading we were supposed to be doing.

"Sorry," I mouthed to him, apologetically, stowing the pen back into my bag.

 _Yeah, whatever_. He went back to his textbook, relieved at the silence, but now his mind wandered. _What is the_ deal _with this kid? First he can't stop glaring and brooding, and now, he's like a totally different person… all cheery and friendly and_ talking _… weirdo…_

He conjured up Bella's face in his mind, knowing she was the source behind my changed persona. Even though he didn't know Bella or me personally, Forks High School was small enough for everybody to know everybody else's business.

I shrugged, keeping my smile fixated on my own textbook. I'd read the chapter in about thirty seconds and had let my attention stray to Bella. Occasionally, I would flip pages and take random notes to make it _look_ like I was mentally present in the classroom.

"That test was so hard," Jessica whispered to Bella. "I was so confused on the word problem."

I watched Bella shrug in Jessica's mind. "I thought I did okay."

I forced myself not to snort aloud at her typical modest response. My Bella was brilliant at academics, even though she had a low self-esteem about it. With a little prodding and tutoring from me, she had aced last month's unit test.

I hadn't even bribed the teacher.

 _She's probably getting all the help from those Cullens. They're all so smart, and now that she's part of their gang, they're helping her with her studies. I wonder if she and Edward have private tutoring on the weekends. Maybe I should drop by Bella's house unexpectedly to see…_

I sighed. Jessica Stanley was one of the worst minds available for me to listen to, but she was possibly the only person who payed enough attention to Bella to keep _me_ from insanity during classes.

Apart from Mike Newton, probably.

Mike Newton still had the pathetic crush on Bella, despite the fact that we had made it perfectly clear to the whole school that we were together. At least his fantasies had toned down marginally, but he still had improper thoughts of Bella whenever she was in the room.

It was all I could do to not snap his neck and feed him to Jasper.

The bell rang, interrupting of _my_ fantasies, and I practically leaped out of my seat and out the door. It was easy to breeze through the halls when no other student had yet emerged from his or her classroom, and I was waiting outside Bella's classroom four seconds later.

She smiled when she saw me leaning against the wall and immediately made her way over to me.

I beamed at her, slipping my hand into hers and using my free hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.

 _Honestly,_ Jessica grumbled as she passed us huffily. _Take your freaking love scene somewhere else._

Bella blushed when I leaned down to brush my lips across her cheek. The venom burned in my throat, and I stiffened, waiting for it to pass. I _had_ fed just last night. I would _not_ lose control.

 _Stay in control_ , I ordered myself.

Bella's eyes were wide and anxious on my face, and I offered her a rueful smile.

"Shall we head for lunch?"

I took her bag from her shoulder, and we started towards her locker.

"Yeah?" Bella teased, curling her hands around my forearm. "And what exactly do you plan to _eat_ for lunch?"

My repulsion towards human food was a constant source of amusement and entertainment to her. I knew exactly what to say to get her back, so I leveled her with a playful glare and bent down to whisper, "You" in her ear.

She spluttered incomprehensibly and grabbed back the bag from me to shove it in her locker. I knew she was just using that excuse to hide her reaction, but it didn't occur to her that I could hear the frantic racing of her heart and the way I could feel the heat on her cheeks and neck. Smiling in smug satisfaction, I leaned against the locker to study her flushed cheeks in awe.

I absolutely loved to see her blush, but at the same time, it was dangerous. I was constantly afraid that I might get carried away and accidentally hurt her.

 _Stay in control_ , I repeated, scowling at myself.

"What?"

Bella had noticed my preoccupation again. Honestly, I thought exasperatedly, nothing ever missed that's girl's perceptive gaze.

"Just thinking…" I murmured vaguely, and she rolled her eyes.

"You think too much." I couldn't argue with that. "Lunch, remember?"

She was right. I needed to take care of her.

I held her hand again, and we started towards the cafeteria. The news of our relationship had shocked most of the school, but now the rumors and reactions had died down. People still stared as we stood in the lunch line, but it was no longer the surprise or curiosity.

Bella had said the stares made her uncomfortable.

I suggested quietly, "Do you want to sit outside? It's a beautiful day."

She couldn't resist that offer. She loved sitting in the sun and absorbing its heat. But of course, she was thinking about me instead. "What about you?"

"I'll be with you." I was confused.

She slapped my arm lightly. "No, the sun, I mean. Won't it cause trouble?"

"Ah," I smiled. "No, I'll sit in the shady part."

"But—"

I pressed a finger to her lips. "Shh. Trust me on this, alright?"

When I let go, she muttered something about cheating, confusing and cryptic vampires and stalked off outside. I chuckled, grabbed her tray, and quickly followed her.

It had definitely been a good idea, I approved, to bring her outside. We rarely spend sunny days together, and I'd been looking forward to seeing the reddish tint in her hair flair up under the brilliant sunlight.

I edged my way to a table nearest to a tree and sat down right under the shade. Bella, finally understanding my plan, sat just a few inches away, right under the sun.

I watched her eat, wondering if there may ever be a future in which we didn't have so many differences between us.

No way. I shook my head to expel the fantasies of turning her into someone like me. There was no possibility she would want _that_ kind of a future… For now, this was enough.


	16. Photo: Deer in Forest

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 16 (Photo of **Deer in Forest** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella, Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1476

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

"What are you thinking?"

I opened my eyes to find his face inches from mine. His eyes, either black from desire or thirst, bored into mine curiously, and he had his head propped up on his elbow.

I shrugged, staring past him and into the sky. It had been drizzling for the past hour, and as it gradually slowed and the sun peeked out of the clouds, I noticed a rainbow forming overhead.

A deep rumbling from Edward's chest interrupted my preoccupation.

Abruptly, he grabbed me around the waist and rolled us over, so that I was draped across his chest. Giggling lightly, I tried to shove myself off of him, but he only tightened his arms.

"You know I hate it when you do that," he scolded.

"Do what?" I asked innocently. "Oh, look at that! It's a rainbow. Have you ever seen one up close?"

He ignored the subject change.

"Not telling me what's on your mind." He narrowed his eyes. "It's always frustrated me that I can't read your mind when you were human, but because it was beyond your control, you—and I—couldn't exactly do anything about it."

I stifled a laugh, knowing where he was going with this. Ever since I had figured out and shown him my thoughts, he'd been begging me at every possible second to lift my shield off myself.

Edward scowled at my smug expression. "And now you _do_ have some control over it, and though I'm asking nicely—"

"No way." I shook my head adamantly. "I enjoy my privacy. As it is, there's so little of it in this family."

"You're infuriating."

"But you love me anyway."

He smiled then, all traces of frustration ebbed from his expression only to be replaced by pure adoration and passion. "That I do. And don't you forget it."

"It's impossible to," I explained patiently. " I have photographic memory now."

He groaned at my bad joke and pulled me down to bury his face in my neck. I gasped when he began to trail butterfly kisses and his tongue along my skin. Our skins were the same temperature, but it didn't mean that his didn't have same effect on mine now than it did when I'd been human.

"So what were you thinking again?"

At this point, I couldn't even remember my name let alone what I'd been thinking five minutes ago. So much for photographic memory…

"Hmm?"

I'd thought that our wedding night had been bliss, but after my transformation and my first… well, _night_ as a vampire with Edward, the wedding night had paled in comparison. All of senses were enhanced hundred-fold, and I could _feel_ him in a way I never had been able to before.

His breath fanned across my ear. "You could tell me what you were thinking about — or you can just _show_ me."

"You're so demanding," I somehow managed to tease as he kissed his way down my throat and across my collarbone.

He nose skimmed across my chest lightly, and I swear, I would have just about died had I been human.

"What's new?" He rolled us over again, pressing me into the soft, lush grass and continuing his journey. "You're full of surprises. And I've been so eager to _finally_ hear your thoughts again, now that it's actually possible."

I laughed shakily. "That presentation I gave you was just a rare occurrence. A gift. Don't be expecting me to give you access to my mind whenever you want."

He added his hands to his exploration, and for a second, I anticipated the intimacy that was sure to follow, but he unexpectedly pulled away from me and settled into the grass beside me.

"You're mean," I huffed, adjusting my clothes. "And a cheat."

He smiled up at the sky, curling a hand behind his head. " _You_ would know. All I ask for is a _little_ bit of insight into that wonderful mind of yours."

"Alright, _fine_ ," I groaned, sitting up and crossing my legs. I muttered, "Such a whiner. I'll _try_ to concentrate."

Sporting a wide grin, Edward immediately sat up and mirrored my position. He tried to pull me into his lap, but I squirmed away and glared at him.

"Sitting _there_ ," I nodded pointedly, "would do the exact opposite of helping me concentrate."

As he dropped his hands to his sides, his expression actually looked sheepish! "Right. Sorry."

I sighed and closed my eyes. Since the first time I'd shown him my human and vampire memories, I hadn't had a chance to play around with my shield. I wondered if I would have to practice all over again because of the time lapse.

Edward was waiting patiently… or at least, he was trying to _look_ patient. And failing.

When I cracked an eye open to peek at him, his eyebrows were slightly furrowed and the curve of his lips was going _down_.

"I'm not hearing anything," Edward reported, sounding anxious. I wondered if he was just updating me on my progress or complaining.

"Quiet, Edward," I hissed. "This is what I meant about concentrating."

I stood up, ready to leave, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back down into the grass.

"Alright, I promise I'll be good." His eyes were wide and imploring. "I'm just so excited."

I shook my finger warningly at him. "Well, you'd better tone it down, Mister, or I won't be able to focus."

He smiled, abashed, and grabbed my finger to kiss it. "My apologies, love. Please continue."

I had to admit, as I hid a smile, it was fun to play with him like this. I was so glad Jasper was not around to know my emotions. For all the times Edward won unfairly by dazzling me into surrender, I _finally_ had something to get him back.

"No distracting," I threatened, "or I'm leaving."

He shook his head, eyes wide and innocent and held his palms forward.

Our knees were slightly touching, but I didn't let myself get carried away by the electricity sizzling between us there. My eyes slipped closed once again, and I pretended to lift the shield.

For a few moments, there was silence and Edward was literally vibrating in his spot, until I finally opened my eyes to look at him. I pressed my lips to keep from laughing. He hadn't taken his gaze off of me this whole time, and his dark eyes were intent and pleading.

"What?" he whispered when I met his gaze. "I swear, I wasn't distracting you."

"Can you close your eyes, too?" I mumbled, tugging self-consciously on my shirt. "It's a little hard to focus when you're staring like that."

Edward didn't seem too happy by that request, but he nodded anyway and shut his eyes.

"Thanks," I smiled.

For a second, I watched him sit still like a statue, his shoulders tense with anticipation. My hand covered my mouth to block out my giggles. My husband was so _cute_.

Before he could process it, I leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to the tip of his nose and shot to my feet, finally letting out the laugh I'd been holding in for so long.

His eyes flew open, but I was already at the edge of the forest and waving to him, giggling the entire time.

"Bella?"

"I'm actually not in the mood. I'm kind of thirsty." I laughed at his shocked and bewildered expression. He was still sitting cross-legged in the middle of the meadow. "So I propose a challenge, if you're up for it. Whoever hunts a deer — _no elk_ — first is the winner. If I win, no asking me to share my thoughts for a _week_. If you win—"

"Those terms will be up to _me_ ," Edward growled, getting to his feet too. "You, woman, drive me _insane_."

"What're you going to do about it?" I taunted, but I wondered if he could even understand it since I was laughing so hard. I began to edge away as he took predatory steps towards me.

"I'm going to win your bet. And then you'll have to do as I say. _Forever_."

I shrieked and spun on my heel when he charged at me.

"You're supposed to be hunting the deer, not me!" I yelled over my shoulder as he chased me in and out of the trees.

"This is just the testing round. You'd better watch your back."

I would have never thought that getting chased through a forest would equate to fun, but my husband had a knack to fill me with delight no matter what we did.

Taking deep care to focus on my surroundings as I ran, I lifted my shield briefly to grant him with the three profound words that had brought us and would keep us together for eternity.


	17. Photo: Surfing

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 17 (Photo of **Surfing** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella, Edward  
 **Rating:** K  
 **Word Count:** 1154

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

"You know," I mused, looking out the window and concealing a smirk. "You actually forgot to blindfold me this time."

Edward broke off with his humming to glance at me in surprise. " _Forgot_ to blindfold? I was never intending to blindfold you."

I snorted. " _Right_. You _always_ blindfold me when you take me out on a date."

"True. Even though you make it unsurprisingly difficult each time, I try my best. And it works," he added with a smug smile. " _all_ the time."

Huffing indignantly, I crossed my arms across my chest. "Well, this time you didn't, so I'm hoping that you're done with surprising me on dates. It's bad enough that most of the dates you plan for me are more expensive than my yearly electricity bill."

"Bella," he sighed. "We are not having this discussion again. I _love_ surprising you, and I know you secretly love it too."

"Shut up," I commanded, blushing wildly at being caught.

He chuckled. "Besides, I couldn't blindfold because it's a long trip we're taking."

"Yeah," I stretched my feet in the limited amount of space in front of the passenger seat of Edward's car. That seat had basically become _my_ permanent seat. "Tell me about it."

Guilt flashed across his face. "Bella, I'm so sorry. You should've told me your legs were hurting. There's a rest stop coming up in about five min—"

"Relax, Edward," I assured him. "It's just a little sore, that's all. It's my fault, mostly. I kept it still this whole time."

Edward didn't seem to have registered anything I had said.

"There might be a convenience store there too." He was muttering to himself. "I wonder if they have that pain-relieving cream Carlisle recommended the other day—"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. I'm not that fragile. You said we'll be at your fancy date in ten minutes anyway."

Edward still look upset, but he didn't argue. "Right."

"So," I asked, hoping to change the subject. Edward was taking things too far. As usual. "How come you didn't blindfold me again? Not that I'm complaining."

He cracked a smile, even though his eyes were still clouded with hurt. "No point. You would've realized where we're going by the smell."

" _Smell_? Edward, I don't have sharp senses the way you do."

"It's impossible for you to miss it, trust me."

I fell silent, staring out the glass again. My mind was racing with anticipation and excitement. Where was he taking me? After half an hour of taking several roads I hadn't recognized, he'd lost me on our way, and I'd spent most of the time talking to him.

I was even more surprised that we were going out on a day like this. The sun was shining brilliantly down on us, and Edward was driving leisurely in his car like it was nothing. Sure, he'd pulled down his window shade, so that people driving by didn't freak out by his sparkly arms, but he seemed completely relaxed.

"What are you thinking?"

This time when he voiced his usual question, his tone wasn't frustrated, but in fact, amused. I looked over to see my favorite crooked grin on his face. I knew he was wondering what was running through my mind after his cryptic statement.

"Just wondering where we're going," I responded airily.

"Care to share?"

"No."

I faced the window, watching his reflection as he narrowed his eyes at me.

"That drives me crazy, you know." He tightened his fingers on the steering wheel, and I worried for his car's health for a moment. "Not hearing your thoughts."

I snickered silently, trying not to sound superior. "Really? You don't complain about it nearly enough."

He growled playfully at me, not appreciating the sarcasm. "Watch the attitude, or I'm going to have to drop you in the ocean. Oh, wait — you might fall in on your own."

For a second, I blinked at him, a little shocked by his teasing. I knew better than to get offended, but he very rarely taunted me about my chronic clumsiness. A long moment passed before I finally focused on his words.

"We're going to the _beach_?" I demanded, a huge grin spreading across my face. I turned in my seat, straining against the seat belt, to study his face.

He kept his gaze focused on the road, but his lips were curving up into a smile as well.

The beach was the last place I would have imagined going on a date with Edward. First of all, it was summer, so exposure to the sun was something to be avoided. Second of all, La Push was the closest beach to our home, and the Cullens were forbidden from crossing the boundaries anyway.

Stupid prejudices.

"I. Love you." I said forcefully, as Edward rolled down my window and the salty spray of the ocean infiltrated the car immediately.

"I figured." Edward began casually, controlling his expression in a way that told me he was _very_ pleased by my reaction. "And I thought we could have one trip to the beach together before your change. It might be a while before we can go to another."

"Will anybody see you?" I wondered.

"Don't worry," he pulled into the front of a traditional but stylish looking cabin that was bigger than my entire house. "We booked this part of the beach. And Alice is keeping tabs, so we'll be fine."

"Esme?" I asked dubiously, gesturing to the cottage.

He grinned cheerfully, grabbing duffel bags from the trunk. "It wasn't a trouble, love. She absolutely adores designing and building."

I trailed after him to the front door, staring longingly at the beach which was basically visible from behind the cabin. Edward's skin glittered diamonds under the sunlight, and I was suddenly excited to see him swim at vampire speed. I wondered if his swimming was just as fast as his running.

Of course he would rise up to the challenge, and I would have fun timing and sending him in and out of the water.

My childish fantasies were interrupted when Edward walked back out, carrying two long boards.

"What are those?" I demanded, automatically taking a step back.

He grinned. "Surfboards. We're going to surf."

"I can't."

"I'll teach you." He grabbed my hand easily, pulling me along.

"Don't you dare," I yelled, darting away from him and towards the water. The hot sand felt scorching and flat-out wonderful under my feet.

"You can't outrun a vampire, sweetheart!"

"Try me." I challenged, laughing as my sparkling vampire came hurtling towards me. He moved so fast, I couldn't even see his face; just the diamonds reflecting off of his skin.

His arms came around me a second later, and he laughed delightedly in my ear. For a few moments, we stood and let the foamy water wash over our ankles, until Edward pleaded, " _Now_ can we go surfing?"


	18. Photo: Bicycle

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 18 (Photo of **Bicycle** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Edward, Jacob  
 **Rating:** K  
 **Word Count:** 1086

 **AN:** Shortly after _Breaking Dawn_ …

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

"Absolutely not, Jacob."

"Oh, come on, Edward!" My best friend complained, rolling his eyes at Edward's stubbornness, though I had to admit that Edward did have a point. "She's definitely responsible and I know she's been eager—"

"That I'm aware of, but it doesn't matter how eager she is. Just because we can afford it doesn't mean we'll be spending anything and everything on her."

"You do for Bella—" Jacob mumbled.

Edward turned his head around to shoot me an affectionate smile. "Bella's my wife, so it's obviously a different story. And it's not like she accepts my gifts easily anyway."

"Never have and never will," I muttered.

Edward dropped a light kiss to my lips. "Love you," he murmured, caressing my hips gently.

Jacob moaned, shoving the heels of his palms into his eyes. "Will you two _stop_ it already? I'm so tired of watching your love spectacles for no reason _all the damn time_."

Edward was abruptly angry, glaring at Jacob threateningly. "I _sincerely_ hope you're not using that kind of language around my daughter, Jacob Black. I've been accepting and supportive—"

"Barely," Jake muttered.

"Of your imprint connection with my daughter," Edward finished as though there had been no interruption. "But I _will_ have to forbid from seeing her if you can't prove that you're not bad influence towards her."

"Bad influence, my a—" Jacob started to snap but under my husband's menacing glare, he hurriedly stopped mid-word. "My foot."

"Right." Edward said coldly. "Back to the original matter, I appreciate your offer to gift or buy or build Nessie a car, but we'll have to refuse for now. First of all, she is too young, in age and appearance to be driving in public. While she can definitely be taught driving locally, Bella and I would like to have her wait for a while."

I nodded, settling into the loveseat and curling my legs up. "We want to raise her normally," I chuckled, "even though there's nothing normal about this family. She's already a rather spoiled thanks to all of us, but Edward and I are hoping to discontinue that. There are a lot of responsibilities which comes with being part of this family that she needs to understand; she does already, of course, to a certain extent, but she will have to earn such privileges."

"As conventional an upbringing as possible," Edward reminded him.

Jacob sighed, flopping his head back. I sympathized with him a little. His imprint connection with my daughter was tugging him one way — to give her anything she wanted — but respect for the parents' authority was pulling him another way.

"Yeah, I know," he admitted grudgingly. "I totally respect your decisions for her, even though…"

Edward relaxed again, smiling as he read Jake's frustrated thoughts, and slid beneath me in the loveseat. He nuzzled my neck, pressing a light kiss there.

"Even though you feel like punching us," I suggested, and he cracked a smile.

"Alright, I'ma head out. See if Nessie's back from her shopping trip with Pixie." He nodded to the door to our cottage. "You guys just… catch up."

Edward and I were already immersed in each other, barely noticing Jake hovering in the doorway, looking disgusted.

"So…" he began, dragging out the word and waiting until we looked up to continue, "Just to be clear… no car, then?"

"Jake, out!"

* * *

"You can't be serious."

"Your car offer gave me the idea," Edward replied cheerfully, "If she can't drive on four wheels, she can start by practicing on two wheels."

"We talked to Carlisle," I added, stroking the black and pink paint. "He also thinks it's _way_ too early to gift her a car—"

"I actually meant teaching her to _drive_ , not necessarily giving her a car," Jacob interjected.

"Either way, there's a time for everything, and she needs to prove to us that she deserves it."

"So you got her a bicycle instead? It's hideous!" Jake exclaimed, eyeing the vehicle in distaste.

"To you, maybe, but Renesmee won't mind," Edward stated confidently, carrying it to the garage.

Jacob sighed and followed us grudgingly.

"I'm so excited," I commented giddily. "Except for sitting on the shoulders of all the men in this house, she hasn't ridden anything on her own."

Renesmee really was spoiled, but everybody indulged her anyway. Seeing her sitting on Seth's broad shoulders had to have been one of the most adorable things ever. He acted just as goofily as she did, and Seth absolutely adored her.

"Two minutes!" Alice hollered from upstairs.

"Places," I hissed.

Edward deposited the bicycle right in the middle of the garage, so that it would be the first thing she saw. Together, we went back into the house and drifted to our various activities. I grabbed a book off the bookshelf, intending to sit at the sofa, but as I passed the piano, Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me down next to him on the bench.

Edward began to mindlessly play some tune, but from the way his eyebrows were furrowed, I could tell that he was listening to Renesmee's thoughts.

I heard Esme speaking as she rounded the corner in her car. Esme had gone grocery shopping this morning, and Renesmee had decided to tag along. Typically, she didn't enjoy the human food we insisted on feeding her, but I supposed she was getting interested from watching Jacob and Seth scarf down several meals every day.

"No ice-cream or chocolate unless you finish eating everything I make for you. Doctor's orders."

"Don't tell him then, Grandma."

I snorted. It was convenient having a doctor in the family. Renesmee couldn't get away with avoiding healthy food in favor of desserts — which she was quite fond of.

I could envision Esme smiling. "You know I can't hide anything from Carlisle. And he'll get to know anyway."

"Yeah," Renesmee said sulkily. "No secrets in this house."

Edward and I looked at each other and bit back laughs.

Esme opened the garage door and paused. "Well, look at that, dear. It seems I'm unable to park my car."

The fabric of the car seat ruffled and I imagined Renesmee peering over her grandmother's shoulder. "What's wrong? Oh—wow!"

We heard the car door open and Renesmee's heart beat went wild as she flew to the garage.

"It's pretty!" Renesmee exclaimed in delight, and we took that as our cue to go downstairs. Her face lit up when Edward and I appeared in the garage doorway. "Momma!"

She leaped into my arms, pressing her hand to my cheek. A picture of the bike appeared in her mind, followed by an unspoken question.

"It's for you, baby," I grinned, pressing her into Edward's arms. "Did you see your name on it?"

Edward carried her over the other side of the bike and pointed to where we had painted _Renesmee C. Cullen_ on the top tube, right below the seat.

She beamed, pressing her hand to Edward's cheek this time, even though he didn't need it to read her thoughts.

"You're welcome, and yes, of course you can ride it now." He laughed.

Esme flitted over to my side, smiling fondly, as Edward placed Renesmee on the seat, adjusting her hands to hold the handlebars.

"That's so cute," Alice chuckled from behind us.

"Make sure you wear your helmet," Emmett yelled, as Edward walked alongside Renesmee, yanking her back from swerving into the wrong path. "Who's to say she hasn't inherited her mother's clumsiness?"

I turned around to glare at him, but Jasper had already placed his bet. I sighed. It wasn't even noon yet, and they were already at their gambling business.

Those two…


	19. Photo: Party

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 19 (Photo of **Party** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella, Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1930

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

Edward was in an unusual mood today.

Despite having committed my husband's facial expressions to heart and years of experience of assessing his states of mind, I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

He was being exceptionally clingy to me, constantly materializing at my shoulder and silently grabbing my hand or quietly holding onto me. Not that I was complaining at the intimacy. Edward had always been very affectionate with me, whether we were alone in the confines of our bedroom or had an audience… stealing quick kisses, wrapping his arms around me from behind, playing with my fingers, twirling my hair absentmindedly…

But he seemed to be particularly attached to me since this morning. And the way he'd constantly looked at me. The intense look in his eyes… something was brewing in his mind. I'd even had a difficult time getting out of our bed at dawn because Edward had kept yanking me back down and nuzzling his face into my neck.

If it hadn't been for Alice showing up at our cottage and demanding that Edward stop dazzling me, we would have spent the entire day tomorrow getting an earful from our all-too domineering sister about ruining Renesmee's first birthday party and how uninvolved parents we were shaping out to be.

Renesmee was one year old—or six, depending on how one chose to look at it. In terms of her physical appearance, she looked just as she had when the Volturi had come to visit with subtle differences that only vampire eyes could pick up on. Her rapid growth was less visible now except for the changes in her height and facial features.

Everybody had been exceedingly thrilled about Renesmee's first birthday. The only downside to this was that my own human birthday was in two days, and I was _not_ looking forward to whatever Alice was plotting—or had already plotted. I wouldn't put it past her to plan both of our birthdays at the same time.

"Hi, hi!" Alice squealed, interrupting my musings. She linked her arm with mine and flashed her bright smile.

"Hey," I laughed, leaning back against the cushion. "Quite the party."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought you didn't like parties."

I backtracked immediately, hoping she wouldn't get any ideas. "When they're about _me_ , I despise them. But I actually enjoy attending other people's, you know."

"Right." She nodded, looking uninterestedly at her fingernails that she had painted bright purple for the occasion. But I knew there was something going on in that evil mind of hers. "Your hatred towards being in the spotlight."

I shrugged. "Renesmee seems to be enjoying herself."

Renesmee was weaving in and out of her crowd of guests, smiling angelically and laughing with her friends. She looked beautiful in the dress that Esme had selected and gifted for her. Unlike her mother, she adored receiving presents on any occasion.

"Of course she is," retorted Alice. "Normal people actually love parties."

I grinned. "I thought we already established that I'm not normal."

"True. But I love you anyway."

"Gee, thanks."

Rosalie flitted over to the couch and sat down on my other side. "Your daughter is such a drama queen," she commented fondly, before snorting. "Wonder where she gets that."

I snickered. No matter how much time passed, Rosalie would never tire of making fun of my husband. Though I had to admit, what she said _was_ sometimes true. Edward might _say_ that I'm stubborn, but between us, he was the one to make a big deal about everything.

Like now.

I frowned suspiciously as my big brother ambled casually to the food table. His expression was extremely innocent which obviously made it all the more dangerous.

Rosalie was hissing "Idiot" — whether to herself or to her husband, I didn't know. Alice, on the other hand, had a blank look on her face so I knew that she was looking into the future. I waited, watching Emmett cautiously. It would just like him to spike the fruit punch or put something in the cake as a perfect prank to his niece.

Alice would, of course, be murderous. Nothing could stop her if her plans, especially important occasions, went wrong.

"Uh oh." Alice muttered.

"What?"

But I didn't need to ask. Edward flew out of nowhere, looking ferocious as he slammed into Emmett and tackled him outside. _Luckily_ , none of Renesmee's few human friends had witnessed the incident or we would have had some very awkward questions.

Edward's angry yells could be heard from inside, and I glanced worriedly at Alice when something made out of stone crashed.

Alice closed her eyes. "I'm. Going. To. _Kill_. Him."

"Which 'him'?"

"Both." Alice decided.

"What were you _thinking_?" Edward demanded, landing another punch to Emmett's face.

Emmett was unable to answer, and I listened harder, only to hear him struggling to breathe because he was choking back his laughter.

"Easy, bro," Emmett gasped, chuckling. "I wasn't going to do anything."

"Yes, you were," Edward snapped. "Don't deny it because I could hear it in your thoughts. Even though you tried to distract me. How _dare_ —?"

"What is going on here?" That was Carlisle's voice, demanding but authoritative and quiet.

"Do you we should…?" I whispered to Alice.

Alice shook her head. "No, people can't notice that we're gone or they'll follow us outside."

"Esme is here." I protested.

Rosalie got to her feet. "I don't know about you two, but _I'm_ going. Emmett's going to pay. I _warned_ him not to do anything stupid today, but of course… and with Edward's temper… unnecessarily provoking..."

She stalked out of the door, still muttering to herself.

"Emmett's been pretending to _not_ think about spiking the drinks, but he deliberately let his thoughts slip just to get on Edward's nerves. Edward now thinks that he was up to something. And they broke both the gargoyle I bought!" Alice hissed in desperate anger.

Alice had gone all out for planning towards this grand party by buying all sorts of unusual decorations. The theme was _Medieval_ , and she had arranged to have several mythological and ancient creatures in the form of statues or paintings. It was ironic, considering that most of the guests present _were_ mythological creatures.

Jacob was waving at me from the food table, his mouth stuffed with potato chips and roast chicken.

"'Sup, Bells?"

I sighed. "Edward and Emmett are being immature again."

Jacob thought for a moment and swallowed. "Emmett finally decide 'spike' the juice?"

"You were in on it, too?" I demanded.

He shrugged. "Sure. Emmett let me know yesterday that this was his plan to get back at Edward for winning their recent wrestling match."

Alice glared at him. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Jacob snorted. "Easy, pixie. Those two can handle themselves. And I knew Em wasn't going to cause any real harm to Nessie or her friends."

Alice jabbed her finger out at him. "I'll deal with you later. Come on, Bella."

By the time we got outside, Edward was being restrained by Carlisle and Jasper while Rosalie repeatedly spewed curses at her husband. Between them, Alice's beautiful statues were crumpled into pieces and the water fountain was broken and gushing out water everywhere.

I turned to Alice in amazement. "How could you not have seen _any_ of this?"

Alice waved her hand around her eyes desperately. "Wolves everywhere. Nessie. Obstructions."

"You should apologize." Emmett was still full of mirth even as he adjusted his nose. "I didn't even do anything."

Edward growled. "Well, that's because I stopped you in record time. And is this a _place_ to do something like that? There are humans present."

"Hey! No one asked you to break the water fountain—"

"That was _your_ fault, you childish, immature—"

"Well, if _you_ hadn't jumped at me without listening to the full story—"

"Jazz, please," I begged.

The atmosphere was suddenly calm and serene, and everyone present relaxed as Jasper influenced our emotions.

Carlisle, of course, didn't show any outwardly differences.

"Bella, take Edward home," he instructed. "He could use a little time to relax."

I nodded and went over to grab his hand. He complied immediately, letting me lead.

"Alright," he admitted on the way. "So I _may_ have overreacted, but if you had heard the things Emmett was thinking—"

"We'll kill him together," I promised as we arrived at our cottage. My voice lowered to a whisper now that we were completely alone. "But for now, I believe I promised Carlisle to help you relax."

He grinned, cottoning onto my mood right away, but that intensity had returned in his gaze. His fingers brushed my hips in an almost reverent way. I didn't mind, but I was wondering what he was thinking.

He made a move to push me onto the bed, but I twisted our bodies as we fell so that I landed on top of him.

"I want to talk to you." I declared.

His eyebrows rose in surprise.

I studied his expression. Today was an important day for everybody in the Cullen house. Exactly one year ago, our little miracle, Renesmee, had entered the world and brought immense joy—and a lot of drama—in our lives. Was it something to do with that?

"What is going on with you?" I asked quietly, sitting upright on his hips.

He stared up at me, confused. "What do you mean?"

I hesitated, not sure how to put his actions into words. "You've been… hovering over me all day. Not that I mind, but it seems like you're thinking deep about something."

His eyes dropped and he lowered his hands to play with the hem of my shirt before sliding his hands across my stomach.

"I hadn't realized you noticed." He shook his head, a tiny smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "I hadn't realized I was even doing it."

He propped himself onto his elbows and met my gaze.

"Bella, you can't imagine how thankful I am to you. _For_ you. I trust that you know that even if I don't tell you everyday. _You_ are the single most important person in my existence and that will never change. Family, friends… they're all separate. I exist because _you_ exist."

His gaze became smoldering and he lifted his hand to my cheek.

"Seeing Renesmee today, after being brought into this world by you…" He sighed. "You've sacrificed so much for her, for me, for everybody. Today's grand celebration is just as rightful to you as it is to her. I couldn't help but gravitate towards you all throughout the day, love. I kept remembering your determination and _strength_ during your pregnancy. I can never be as strong as you have and will continue to be, Bella."

I sat there, stunned. Edward always chose to be sappy at the wrong moments. And why did he repeatedly make everything about me?

 _I_ had nothing to be proud of. The countless times Edward had put his life in danger to save _me_ … and the pregnancy couldn't have been successful without him or his family either.

Edward was smiling tenderly when I looked back at him.

"I know what you're thinking," he laughed quietly. "And for once, don't ruin this for me. Let me be grateful this evening for everything you have done for me. Argue with me some other night."

"You bet I will."

And then I closed the distance between us, for once giving him the chance to convey to me what words never could.

* * *

 **AN:** So this was kind of a weird one, in terms of the prompt itself. I've been having the idea of Edward voicing his gratefulness to Bella, and I thought a nice opportunity to do so would be on Renesmee's birthday. The celebration (actual prompt) was just a backdrop to Bella and Edward's conversation, but I hope it still fits the prompt challenge criteria!


	20. Photo: Bonfire

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 20 (Photo of **Bonfire** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella, Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1479

* * *

 **\- Edward's Point of View -**

* * *

"This is completely ridiculous," Bella complained loudly. "Where are you _going_?"

I smiled at her reaction, trying my best to hide my worries. I _had_ assured Bella that I trusted her with the werewolves—which was true to an extent—and I wanted to carry out my promise.

"I think I'll step outside for a moment," I hesitated.

She placed her hands on her hips, scowling at me. I tried not to think about how distracting her pose and instead focused on her words. "I thought you said you were beyond this now."

"It's not that I feel any personal antagonism toward him, Bella, it's just easier for both of us," I explained, "I won't be far away. You'll be safe."

I would circle the forest a few times, occasionally dropping in to check on her, but otherwise keep my distance. If I wanted to prove to Bella that she could trust me with her friendship with Jacob, I had to start showing her so.

Bella rolled her eyes. "I'm not worried about _that_."

Of course she wasn't. When did she ever worry about her own safety like rational people did?

Familiar thoughts approaching closer made me look up. Jacob would be here any minute now, and though the thought of leaving Bella alone with him was excruciating, I had to get out now or I'd never be able to.

Naturally, in my absence, Jacob would try his best to convince Bella the dangers of being with me and persuade her to accept that she belonged with him.

Well, I had no intention of letting him come close to _my_ girl.

Reaching out, I pulled Bella to me by her waist, dropping my face into soft tresses, simultaneously inhaling her glorious scent while leaving my scent across her thick strands, the gentle slope of her throat and all over her slender body.

 _Yuck, this place stinks. Filthy bloodsuckers. I can't believe she even hangs out with them, let alone…_ kisses _one of them. How does she stand the smell? The cold? Disgusting…_

I grinned into Bella's hair, pressing a deep kiss to her neck, and reluctantly released her.

"I'll be right back," I reminded her quietly, heading towards the door.

She looked a little miffed and she demanded to my retreating form, "What's so funny?"

I simply continued laughing gently and bounced out the door. Let him try to make a move on her now…

I just entered the forest when the chime of doorbell ringing echoed behind me.

 _Move along, bloodsucker,_ Jacob's snide thoughts followed me. _I'll take care of your girlfriend for you._

My jaw clenched. "Do your business and get out."

He rolled his eyes, taunting, _Afraid of a little competition? Scared you're gonna lose her? I'm not going down without a fight. Bella loves me too, even if she doesn't know it. All I gotta do is convince her of it._

His mind wandered to inappropriate and childish fantasies of Bella permanently leaving our "coven" to join him at La Push.

Although I was dying to turn right back around and settle this Jacob issue once and for all, I refused to look back, or listen to any more of his silly daydreams.

I would be the better man by respecting Bella's wishes. Bella was _mine_. I couldn't afford to make a mistake again. If I lose her, that would be it.

"Come in, Jake!"

I shut my eyes, hurt and fear swelling up inside of me at the eagerness in her tone, and had to remind myself that I was the root cause for their relationship.

If I had never left…

No, I told myself firmly. Now was not a good time to start thinking about foolish decisions I had made in the past. I needed to focus on the trail.

I managed to circle the perimeter of the forest twice, catching the intruder's scent immediately. Unfortunately, the smell completely disappeared about two minutes later, which meant that this was where the car had been waiting.

It was not a coincidence, I knew. It wasn't just a nomad passing by. Somebody had deliberately created the plan to avoid being tracked further.

Hopelessly, I reached up to grab fistfuls of my hair. Too many dangers were on my mind to think about right now. The Volturi, Victoria, the werewolves, Jacob, this intruder…

Would Bella and I ever live the happy life I so desperately wanted for us?

Suddenly, being away from her now was too much for me to bear and I rushed back towards the house. Jacob had had plenty of time to finish his task…

"Can I ask you something, Bella?"

I stopped dead in my tracks when the scent of fresh blood hit my nose.

 _Blood?_

I panicked immediately, thinking the worst and cursing myself. I _knew_ I shouldn't have left her alone with him! Even if he hadn't hurt her himself, he didn't have the capabilities to protect her as well as I had.

"What's it like — having a werewolf for a best friend?" Jacob continued.

The closer I approached, the louder Bella's heartbeat became. I let out a sigh of relief when she laughed, even if it was in response to something Jacob said.

"Does it creep you out?"

"No," Bella replied, still laughingly. "When the werewolf is being nice, it's the best."

"Thanks, Bella."

Jacob was aware of my presence. _Hear that, leech? I might be her favorite soon. Have fun watching this…_

He pulled her into a bear-hug, lifting her body completely off the floor. My fingers automatically reached out to grab the tree, squeezing the bark between my fingers as jealousy coursed through me.

However, their hug was only short-lived as Jacob stepped back, wrinkling his nose.

"Ugh. Your hair stinks worse than your room."

 _That's disgusting! What did you do, breathe all over her? And she_ let _you?_

I relaxed immediately, grinning in smug satisfaction and making a mental note to envelope Bella completely in my arms before leaving them together.

I took "marking my territory" to a whole new level, I thought with a shake of my head.

"Sorry."

Jacob was determined not to let his revulsion show. "One of the many hazards of socializing with vampires. It makes you smell bad. A minor hazard, comparatively."

Bella dismissed it. "I only smell bad to you, Jake."

And me, I thought darkly. The odor emitting from the werewolves' bodies was positively nauseating.

"See you around, Bells."

"Are you leaving?"

"He's waiting for me to go. I can hear him outside."

"Oh."

The underlying disappointment in her voice crushed me. Was she truly that distressed to see him go?

"I'll go out the back."

I immediately strode out of the forest to enter from the front. On the way, I picked up Bella's mail. A thick package with _Dartmouth_ stamped across the front made me grin proudly. Naturally she had been accepted. I couldn't wait to see her reaction; it was such a monumental experience in her life. Bella's parents would be proud too.

"Hold up a sec — hey, do you think you can come to La Push tonight?" Jacob wanted to know. My eyes narrowed automatically, and my footsteps to the front door slowed. "We're having a bonfire party. Emily will be there, and you could meet Kim . . . And I know Quil wants to see you, too. He's pretty peeved that you found out before he did."

All these unfamiliar names… it pained me to realize that she had another life that I could not ever hope to belong to. When I had left her, she had, not only made grown closer to Jacob Black, but also made acquaintances with many people from the reservation.

"Yeah, Jake, I don't know about that. See, it's a little tense right now…"

"C'mon, you think somebody's going to get past all — all six of us?"

 _If he can protect you, I can too. Nobody's going to dare, with all of us present. We're tough enough to take on the leeches._

"I'll ask."

Jacob snorted. _He's got all twisted up that she can't even hang out with her friends? Controlling freak…_

I clenched my jaw. It was just the werewolves I had had an objection to, and for a good reason. Bella had almost been attacked by one member of the pack. It would idiotic for me to just let her put herself in deliberate danger.

But I was past that now. Sabotaging her attempts and disrespecting her wishes to visit her friends would only create a rift between us, and I refused to let anything come between Bella and me.

From now on, I resolved to trust Bella unconditionally and value her wishes. If Bella and I were truly meant to be together, nothing in the universe had the power to separate us.

Not even Jacob.


	21. Photo: Ferris Wheel

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 21 (Photo of **Ferris Wheel** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella, Edward  
 **Rating:** K  
 **Word Count:** 1451

* * *

 **\- Edward's Point of View -**

* * *

"Edward, this isn't funny."

"I swear I'm not laughing, love."

" _Edward_!"

A smile crept up on my lips despite her fury. Her anger was so endearing. _She_ was so endearing and she didn't even realize it, no matter how often I told her.

"Don't you trust me?"

"The question is, don't _you_ trust _me_?"

My smile vanished immediately as I wondered if she was joking or being genuine. There were no words to describe my love and trust for her. Surely she knew this; I only told her so every single day.

"Of course. Where is all the uncertainty coming from?"

She pointed to her covered eyes. "The blindfold."

I relaxed automatically, laughing freely. "I'm truly sorry about that, sweetheart, but I want to make it a surprise."

Keeping a part of my attention on the road, I turned towards her and raked my gaze across her face. Her head was tilted in my general direction, her soft and full lips pushed into an adorable pout that had been present since we'd gotten into the car. Unable to resist the urge, I leaned across my seat to kiss them quickly.

She tensed in surprise, her lips frozen under mine for a full second, before pushing me away and screeching, " _What are you doing_?"

Sighing forlornly at our too-brief, unsatisfying kiss, I adjusted my body to face the front once again. "I'm not going to get into an accident, Bella. I'm the safest driver around."

"Well, _I_ can't see for myself, so how was I supposed to know?" She demanded snappishly. "At least _one_ of us should keep our eyes on the road."

I chuckled softly. "I'm glad you're wearing a blindfold though. If you could see the speedometer at this moment, you would—"

" _I_ _don't want to know_!"

"You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought you would have taken the blindfold off by now."

"What's the point?" she asked miserably. "You would probably tie it back, even tighter than it is now, before I can fully comprehend you actually doing it."

"True." I admitted unabashed.

I'd been planning this date with Bella for so long now and I was ready for us to actually experience it. She was throwing a huge fuss, I knew, but that was something she always did. Make a big deal about it then sheepishly confess later she had had a wonderful time.

"Besides," Bella continued, pulling my thoughts away from our past date in a local bowling alley. "I tried to take it off earlier, but the knot's impossible to undo. Alice has magic at her fingertips."

"Is it hurting you?" I asked abruptly, anxious about her wellbeing.

It wouldn't surprise—only frustrate—me if she had chosen to withhold this information from me. She never liked admitting she was anything less than fine or having anybody take care of her. She would just have to get used to it since I planned on taking care of her forever.

"No, I'm fine. Just a little annoyed."

"You'll just have to handle being annoyed for a little while longer." I informed her cheerfully. Not paying any heed to her protests, I grabbed her hand from her lap and played with her fingers while I continued to drive. "We're almost there."

"There _where_?"

"Hmm?"

She gritted her teeth. "Where is it that we're going?"

"Wherever I'm taking you."

She tried to pull her hand away from mine but I held on tight. "And where is it that you're taking me?"

"Our destination."

"Which is _what_?"

"The place where we'll be spending our date."

I raised her hand to my lips, gently brushing my mouth across the back of her hand and each of her fingers. My focus on the road faltered when her engagement ring—my mother's ring when she had been alive—gleamed brightly and caught my eye. No matter how often I looked at it, the perfect fit and beauty of the ring on her hand would never cease to amaze me. The ring was now hers. _I_ was completely hers just as she was all mine.

From now until eternity.

I squeezed her hand, overwhelmed by the fact that our _wedding_ would be held in a matter of weeks. The impossible wait was completely agonizing.

Alice had been completely immersed in the wedding plans and had dragged Esme into the preparations as well. My sister had reserved several days next week devoted to my future bride, so I had taken the opportunity of Bella's availability for our day out today before she could get sucked into spa days and makeovers.

Bella's breathing was starting to grow a little heavy under my ministrations and for a moment, she seemed a little distracted. I had to press my lips fully against her skin to stifle my laughs, but I had a hunch that she could feel my smile.

She huffed, coming back to her usual self. "I'll never forgive you for this, Edward. You know how much I hate surprises."

"Yes, but you usually tend to end up liking the ones I plan for you anyway, so what's the harm? And as for the forgiving part, you already have forgiven me." I kissed her hand again fondly, grateful as always for her unquestionable and immediate forgiveness.

She turned her head away, facing the window, but I could see her lips curving up just a bit. Her cheeks glowed red, giving her away.

"See?" I asked knowingly with an enormous grin.

"Right. Well, I still don't see the point of the blindfold. If you wanted me to not look, all you had to do was bring a book for me to read."

"You might have cheated."

" _Please_. Not everybody is like you. Besides, what's the point of keeping me blindfolded along the _way_? Surely you want the _destination_ to be a surprise…"

"You may have guessed easily. We're not even in Forks now."

"I figured that. We've been the car for quite some time now."

"Not anymore. We're here." I announced, pulling into the parking lot of the carnival.

It was summer vacation and it was a Saturday, so hundreds of families swarmed around the fair. Everything was so colorful and busy. Balloon carts, food stalls, arcade and games tables, rides, clowns and people dressed into stuffy costumes, ticket stands and archery booths.

"What's all that noise?" Bella wondered, a tiny grin lighting up her face.

I rounded to her side of the car and helped her out. With one tug at the strings, I loosened the cloth right away. She blinked in confusion and surprise, her lips parting in awe as she stared wide-eyed in front of her.

"Happy…" I paused, thinking of an appropriate occasion to celebrate being here. "ninety-seventh date?"

She squinted at me.

I shrugged. "We've been on ninety six dates together, not including the double dates with Mike and Jessica which, by the way, were completely disasterous."

She grinned and I perceived a slight bounce in her step as she lead me by the hand to the entrance.

"I take it you're not mad anymore?" I whispered in her ear.

Her laugh was music to my ears. "How can I be? I've always wanted to go to a carnival and get a goldfish prize for winning the ring toss game."

My eyebrows furrowed as she continue to speed-walk me along. "I thought you said you killed all of your pet goldfish. But you've never been to a carnival before?"

"I have, but I never _won_ the ring toss," she explained, looking a little put out. "Renée had to buy me goldfish from the pet store to get me to stop crying."

I smirked as I exchanged money for some tickets at the booth.

"Is that so? Then I'll have to make sure you win this time, love."

Twenty-six rides, three light shows, two rounds of the ferris wheel, one ice-cream (for her) and fourteen arcade and archery booths later, I was leading my very exhausted but exhilarated fiancée out of the fair.

"Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!"

I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind, resting my head against her shoulder and eying the oblivious and carefree goldfish swimming around in the plastic bag she held up.

I nuzzled her jaw, delighting in her happiness. "What are you going to name it?"

"Goldie, obviously. That's the standard name for a goldfish…"

"So _creative_ , love," I teased, kissing her neck.

"Yeah, you're right. Okay, how about Mr. Bubbles? Loco? Nemo? What about Peaches? He kind of looks like a Peaches, don't you think?"

I smiled. "Peaches it is, then—"

"No, no, I changed my mind. I'm naming him Loco."

* * *

 **AN:** This is one of my favorites. I've always envisioned Edward taking Bella to a fair and winning her one of those mega-sized stuffed animals that are impossible to hold. I might do an alternate version of this later where all the Cullens crash their date, and Emmett teases Bella about her fear of heights!


	22. Photo: Girl With Sparkler

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 22 (Photo of **Girl With Sparkler** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella, Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1919

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

"The party ends at eleven o'clock."

I hesitated, "I don't know…"

"Oh, come on! You don't go to sleep at eight anymore, do you? It's summer vacation!"

Chuckling lightly, I assured her, "No, of course I'm free, but I'm not sure if Charlie will let me. He's a little strict about these kinds of parties."

"It's more of a get-together to tell you the truth," Jessica offered helpfully. "No alcohol, no booze. And parents can come, too! Of course, there's a separate section for us teenagers, but ask your dad if he wants to come. That way he'll be less likely to suspect anything, and nobody will try anything funny if he does agree to attend."

"You have a devious mind," I snickered. "Who all are going to show up?"

"Basically the entire town of Forks. It's an open invitation, so feel free to bring… whomever."

It was obvious that she meant Edward and his family. The Cullens were the only infamous people in the town anyway.

"Sure," I said lightly, "I'll be there."

"Great! The rest of the gang already said they're coming."

When she didn't specify names, I knew she was deliberately excluding Mike from her list. Though they had been dating over the course of the year, they'd been going through an off-and-on

relationship ever since school ended three weeks ago. Currently, they were on the off-phase.

I had a feeling they'd be together again by tonight because after all, nothing could be more romantic than kissing under real fireworks.

"I'm going to call up Angela and Ben now," she continued, "to see if they can come as well."

On the other hand, witnessing Angela and Ben's relationship gradually unfold in front of my eyes was the sweetest thing ever. Those two were a match made in heaven. The pair was taking it slow together, which I respected greatly. Angela and I now had something more in common to bond over.

I really hoped she could make it. I was looking forward to seeing her tonight.

"Alright, let me know if they need a ride or something."

"Will do! See you, Bella!"

Before I could even say more than a "Bye, Jess", she had already hung up. Snickering at her endless excitement, I lifted the phone from my ear to hang it in the cradle.

Something wrapped around my middle and I felt a _whoosh_ of air by my right ear just as somebody suddenly exclaimed, " _Gotcha_!"

I screamed, slammed the phone against the kitchen counter instead and whirled around, all at the same time. Edward was on the _other_ side of the kitchen, leaning against the counter and doubling over with silent laughter.

It wasn't like holding my hand to my chest was going to stop my hammering heartbeat, but I pressed my palm flat over my heart anyway, feeling the painful throbs.

I blew my hair out of my eyes angrily and jabbed the phone on the receiver, before stalking out of the kitchen and towards the stairs.

Stupid super-speedy vampire.

"Aw," Edward teased, following closely. When I was on the first step, he caught my hand and twined his fingers with mine. "Don't be like that, love."

"Get. Lost." I said through gritted teeth even though my cheeks were beginning to glow from the nickname.

He spun me around on the stair step, grabbing my other hand too and interlocking our fingers, effectively preventing me from making the dramatic exit I'd been aiming for.

Stupid disappointing vampire.

"Let me go." I ordered in a monotonous tone, avoiding his smouldering gaze.

Out of my peripheral vision, I noticed him smiling angelically. "Not possible."

To prove his point, he slid his hands up my bare arms—his method of slow torture—and wrapped my body in a death grip. Except for my face, I couldn't move a single muscle.

Stupid super-strong vampire.

We were almost the same height since he was still standing on the ground floor, so I couldn't hide my face as easily as I normally did. Looking off to the side, I maintained a disinterested expression.

Or tried to anyway.

He lifted his hand to curl his finger under my chin and turn my face forward. I couldn't have resisted even I wanted to; he was much too strong.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." His eyes were wide and still shining with amusement, but his tone was sincere. "I couldn't help it. Forgive me?"

I rolled my eyes, letting out a huff and stomping back up the stairs again. This time, he released me and continued to follow me.

"As if I could stay mad at you," I grumbled irritably, "when you dazzle me like that…"

Stupid cheating vampire.

"You make it sound like I do it on _purpose_ ," he complained good-naturedly. Now that he had fed satisfactorily, his beautiful eyes were their startling golden hue again. "For your information, I am not a cheater intentionally."

I had to admit, he was right. Even if he didn't dazzle me knowingly, I would still lose every time. His eyes were too hypnotizing and intent to let me even think straight let alone form coherent sentences.

Why didn't _I_ have the natural ability to make _him_ speechless?

Stupid dazzling vampire.

I headed towards my closet, now determining what to wear for tonight's celebration instead of waiting till the last minute and having to depend on Alice for an outfit.

Not that she would mind. That perky Cullen had a blast dressing me up for Prom a few months ago. Initially, I'd been grateful for her help, but resentful towards her subsequent "help" in selecting my day-to-day attire. According to her, I was a part of the Cullens and was required to uphold a certain sense of fashion in the family. Though I appreciated the intent behind it, she failed to realize that no matter what I wore, I could never look half as good as they could.

Stupid ordinary human.

"So," I began absentmindedly, poking around in my dresser. "what time will you be ready?"

I figured he had heard the tail end, if not all, of my conversation with Jessica.

He reclined on my bed and watched me rummage through my clothes with an incomprehensible expression of avid interest. "For what?"

"Independence Day party."

I wasn't looking at him, but it sounded like he was smiling. "I didn't know I was invited."

"Everybody's invited apparently. I don't even want to go all that much. You know how lazy I am these days."

Truly though. Summer vacation had always been appealing to me. Not only was it a much appreciated break from school's odd hours and homework, but it meant that I got to spend a _lot_ of my free in Edward's arms. Some days, we just sat around and did nothing. Kissing took up a major chunk of the "activities" on my summer bucket list, but Edward and his silly rules…

Stupid careful vampire.

Other days, Edward stole me away for the entire day, taking me on long car drives or spoiling me at expensive restaurants. It wasn't like _he_ got to enjoy any of the meals he paid for either. I felt like a pig every time I had to eat in front of him and had made it a promise to avoid eating too much in front of him. Once or twice, he'd even tried to bargain with me for buying "simple and relatively inexpensive" jewelry, which had ended up being about ten thousand dollars. I'd _told_ him, time and again, that he didn't need to waste money on me, but Edward and his silly tendencies…

Stupid stubborn vampire.

Edward smiled adoringly. "You _do_ seem very much relaxed nowadays, that's for sure."

"But Jessica was practically begging at the end, and I couldn't say no." I shrugged. "Besides, you get to come with me. You can save me if I'm about to get blown up by a firecracker."

His face went serious immediately. "That's not funny, Bella."

"I wasn't trying to be," I protested. "You know me."

He flew across the room, enveloping me in his arms. For a moment, he surveyed my clothes, before reaching out and selecting a dark blue blouse and white pants.

"For tonight. Because you look exceptionally beautiful in blue," he explained quietly in response to my perplexed look.

"Right." I mumbled, trying not to blush and failing.

He turned his head and pressed his lips to my cheek for a long moment.

"And I think you should wear your hair up," he suggested, burying his face into my neck and peppering soft kisses.

"Why?"

He lifted his face to raise his eyebrows at me. "You were the one who told me the story."

I laughed sheepishly, looking away in embarrassment. "Oh, yeah."

Ten summers ago from today, I'd been at La Push, celebrating the New Year's Day with Charlie and Billy Black's family. We'd been using sparklers instead of real fireworks, and I'd actually set a good chunk of my hair on fire. I'd cried for three days straight because the burnt smell had been so bad and frizzled hair strands had kept falling out.

"Why don't you get ready now?" He kissed me deeply, giving my waist a light squeeze. "I'll pick you up in half an hour."

"Really?" I asked brightly. "You're want to come?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

"Bella, Edward, over here!"

Jessica was frantically waving us over. She squealed and hugged me as we got closer. "I haven't seen you in forever," she gushed. "How's your summer vacation been going so far?"

"Pretty lazy," I smiled. "How was California?"

"A- _ma_ -zing! I developed a really nice tan even though you can't see it now. And the spas there are like _heaven_."

I winced. _Spas_. "I'll have to take your word for it," I joked. "Where's everyone else?"

"The other side of the hill. Let's go."

She ran ahead to catch up with Lauren, while Edward and I ambled along leisurely. The rest of Forks was already gathered around when we arrived. Little kids ran around, yelling at the top of their lungs and begging their parents for another chance with the sparkler. There was also a big food truck a few feet away, selling ice-cream and burgers.

"It's starting in three minutes," Edward whispered in my ear. "Stay here."

He disappeared into the crowd before I could respond. Some of my schools friends converged on me in the mean time, greeting me excitedly. It was good to see Angela and Ben, especially the close contact they were carefully maintaining.

"What's all that?" I called to Edward when he returned, his arms filled with boxes.

"Fireworks, of course."

"No, thanks." I selected a sparkler from the top of the pile. "I think I'm still clumsy enough to set myself on fire."

"Good thing there's a lake nearby."

"Edward!"

"Sorry, love." He helped me light the sparkler, smiling crookedly when its sparks started to erupt.

Meanwhile, the rest of the crowd was starting to join in. The fireworks' colors looked extraordinarily gorgeous in night sky and in the reflection of the water.

"Beautiful," I whispered.

Immediately, Edward pulled me to him, keeping the sparkler in my hand a safe distance away from us and pressing his lips to mine in a mind-blowing kiss.

More fireworks exploded, this time, it was inside me. It was a perfect night.

And the best part of today? I even managed to avoid setting my hair on fire…

* * *

 **AN:** I actually have had some of my hair burnt. Somebody standing me let off a mini firework and it shot right past my head, singeing my hair along with it. Not my fondest memory.


	23. Photo: Truck

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 23 (Photo of **Truck** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella, Edward  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Word Count:** 1511

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

"This is _not_ happening. _Shit_."

My profanities grew louder and heavier with each passing second. With a frustrated yell, I punched the steering wheel as hard as I could. I managed to give myself a bruise but it didn't make the truck start.

Surprise, surprise.

I'd been in an extremely foul mood since morning, and the breaking down of my beloved truck was just the cherry on top to my _perfect_ day.

To make matters worse, it wasn't as if I could just ring up my favorite mechanic and ask him to figure out what was wrong. Jacob was off in his furry avatar, running away from his problems.

That problem being _me_.

I cut off that thought abruptly, refusing to let my mind wander to my lost best friend. He'd been missing for so long, mad and upset at me for so long now… I had no idea how I could make it up to him.

Sighing, I stumbled out of my truck and rounded to its hood. I didn't know enough mechanics to fix what was wrong, but Edward surely did. I reached into my pocket to dial his number, but before I could even scroll through my contacts to find his name, I felt cool arms slink around my midriff.

"Edward," I gasped quietly, automatically reaching down to touch his hands that were interlocked in front of my stomach. "Where did you come from?"

He nuzzled my neck, pressing a trail of kisses from one shoulder, across the back my neck, to the other shoulder. I shivered when I felt his icy tongue occasionally flick my skin as he went.

"I was running in the woods to meet you at your house when Alice called me."

He was still kissing my neck, so for a moment, my mind was completely void of any coherent thoughts.

"Woods?" I asked blankly.

He whirled me around, chuckling lightly to himself. Before I could even meet his eyes properly, he leaned down and kissed me soundly on the lips.

Taken off guard by his vigor, I staggered back against the truck, but he stepped forward right with me, leisurely sliding his hands up and down my back. Where had all the enthusiasm come from? We were just days away from our wedding, and Edward had made sure that I didn't get the opportunity to seduce him again. Not that I'd succeeded the first time, but he was still taking precautions and keeping our physical intimacy to a bare minimum. When would he get it through his head that his control was amazing and that I had complete faith in his strength?

He pulled away, and we both struggled to catch our breaths.

"I missed you," he whispered, dropping his forehead onto mine and gazing into my eyes. "Alice was being a little overbearing."

I raised an eyebrow, clutching his shoulders. "A little?"

"More than usual, I mean," he clarified. "I swear, she's getting paranoid too. She checked the same fitting on me thrice. It's not like I can change physically."

I snickered, reaching up to finger his bronze locks affectionately. His hair was windswept and several strands draped across his forehead. His eyes were alight with energy, and I suddenly remembered his comment from earlier.

"Alice called you because she had a vision?"

He nodded solemnly, his gaze drifting to behind me. "Your truck has died, it seems."

I mentally slapped myself, jumping out of his arms and turning back to the truck. I'd been in the process of calling him when he'd appeared, only to forget about the main problem in the first place.

"Yes, it broke down halfway, and I can't figure out what's wrong."

Edward's gaze was sympathetic. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry."

"What?"

He hesitated. "I think that's the end of your truck. Alice looked into your future and found that it's beyond repair, no matter what I try."

I stared at him open-mouthed. "You can't be serious."

Edward put his arms around me comfortingly, though his embrace had little effect at the moment. I stared at my beautiful, precious and devoted truck unblinkingly.

 _Beyond repair_?

"It lived a long life," Edward continued, his voice soft and assuring. "It's old, Bella. And it wasn't even in the best condit—"

"Don't say that," I snapped. "It was running _perfectly_ for my preferences. Just because it was too slow for you…" I let my voice trail off; I was too confused to be angry at the moment.

Thinking about Edward and his love for fast-driving got me thinking about the compromise we had made the other day. It was no secret that Edward had despised my truck for whatever reasons he could come up with: slow pace, no radio, haggard appearance… He had unfortunately trapped me into promising that as soon as my truck breathed its last, he would be getting me a _new_ car to replace it—something of _his_ choice.

How was it that my truck had stopped working with no visible cause behind it mere _weeks_ after we had the bargain.

It was all too much of a coincidence.

"Edward," I whispered, turning around slowly to face him. He met my eyes immediately, looking expectant. "Would have anything to do with — or any _knowledge_ about what happened to my truck?"

His mouth fell open and his golden eyes tinged with hurt. "You're _suspecting_ me?"

"Well, it makes sense, doesn't it?" I replied angrily, too furious to apologize to him. "It's so _easy_ for you people to tinker with my truck without my knowledge and act like everything's lovely. We just made that deal, what, two weeks ago, and here my truck collapses for no apparent reason! This has _you_ written all over it."

Edward dropped his eyes to the ground, but I refused to feel guilty. He was too good an actor, and frankly, I just _knew_ he had something to do with this. Or he'd gotten somebody in his family to carry out the act _for_ him.

"Let me guess, you already bought me a new car, haven't you?"

There was a beat of silence before Edward murmured, "Yes. But sweetheart, I—"

He tried to take my hands, but I slapped them away. My hands stung, of course, but now was not the time to display any weakness. Edward would use that as a distraction to worm his way out this conversation.

"Don't you _but sweetheart_ me," I snapped, backing up. "You've always hated that truck."

"Just because I didn't love it doesn't mean I _hated_ it," Edward protested indignantly. "And I can't believe you would think I would _deliberately_ tamper with your truck."

"It wouldn't be the first time," I said under my breath, knowing fully well that he could hear it.

Edward took an automatic step back, his expression faltering, and amid the steam pouring out of my ears, I focused my gaze on his face. His expression was so heartbreakingly wounded that I immediately felt the urge to throw my arms around his neck and apologize profusely.

His eyes were dark as he was surely remembering another time I'd been infuriated at him. And that incident had had something to do with my truck too. No, it had been centered on my visit to La Push, which he had considered a threat to my safety. Even now, I remember my rage directed at him. Most of his irrationality was due to his worries about my protection, but in my anger, all I'd been able to see was his interfering with my day-to-day activities and possessive behavior.

"I know, Bella," Edward whispered, not meeting my eyes. "I've created for myself a reputation for disrespecting your wishes and messing with your life. And yes, I did buy a new vehicle for you, and I have it at home already, but I _swear_ to you, I had nothing to do with your truck, nor did I ask anybody to break it down. I'm done with disregarding what you say and ignoring—"

"Shh," I grabbed him by the shoulders and pressed my lips to his. I couldn't stand to see him so upset anymore. "It's my fault, I'm sorry. I got carried away and blamed you in my anger."

He sighed. "I could see why," he mumbled, resting his head in my neck. "I haven't exactly given you any reason to believe me when it comes to valuing your privacy."

"Be quiet," I scolded, wrapping my hands behind his head and running my fingers lightly through his hair. "I trust _you_ more than anyone else, and yes, we've both done idiotic things, but they're all in the past."

I felt him smile against my shoulder. "To the future then."

I gave him a light squeeze and sighed. "I suppose you want to show me the new car?"

He shot up, looking excited, and I was pleased to see that his smile had returned. "That's an understatement. Let's go."

I nodded, grabbing my keys, and began to head towards the truck… only to pause mid-step.

"Oh, wait…"

* * *

 **AN:** I'm sure all this drama and deep talks didn't happen for real, but I thought I'd play with my imagination a bit. And I'll admit, Bella was sort of wrong to jump to the conclusion, but Edward _did_ deserve her accusation for all the other stupid stuff he did without asking her.


	24. Photo: House in Forest

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 24 (Photo of **House in Forest** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella, Charlie  
 **Rating:** K  
 **Word** **Count:** 1027

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

Clicking _send_ , I waited with a grim smile for the email to bounce back. Sure enough, a beep resounded a moment later and the usual error message popped up onto my screen.

Scrolling through all the emails I had unsuccessfully sent to Alice over the past few weeks, I had to admit that I was being rather stupid. And a little obsessive.

He had made it clear, that afternoon in the forest, that I was no longer a part of his life. That _I_ wasn't his life anymore. Maybe I had never been from the beginning, and I had just been too naive to realize it.

He was a mythical being, and I didn't belong in his fairytale.

Whatever he had said or still felt about me was irrelevant. It didn't matter that he no longer, if ever, loved me. He would always be the most important person in my world.

It was silly for hanging on. He would move on with his life for eternity, and I probably had seventy odd years left to live.

I wish I had seen it before. The agony of having, then losing, what I knew I couldn't possibly keep was too much to handle.

" _You… don't.. want me?"_

" _No."_

My teeth sank sharply into my lower lip as the horrid nightmare continued to play out in my head for the umpteenth time. I squeezed my eyes shut, expecting the tears to come and determined to hold them back, but my eyes seemed to be no longer capable of producing tears.

"Bella!"

Charlie's footsteps could be heard on the stairs, and I quickly rummaged through my bag and pulled out a random textbook. I closed my computer window, hiding my email from view, just as there was soft knock on the door.

He poked his head in. "Hey."

I smiled at him briefly and looked back to my book, attempting to seem busy.

My dad hovered awkwardly in the doorframe. "You, uh, busy?"

"Just catching up on some school work." I replied, grabbing a highlighter and wincing at the obvious lie. All I ever did was study these days. My grades were perfect. "Biology."

I could feel his concerned stare on my face and tried not to look guilty even though I couldn't imagine he must be feeling that way. I didn't think I was doing anything these days that gave him the need to be anxious.

"Billy just came… if you want to come say hi."

I wasn't in the mood to meet anybody at this moment. Just thinking about Billy… how much he had despised the Cullens and vampires in general… I couldn't bear looking at his infuriating and smug smile that I was much safer and better off without them.

"Maybe later? I'm almost done with this chapter."

He sighed. "Right."

And then he left, and I was all alone with my empty thoughts once again.

* * *

Charlie would be furious if he found I was wandering around here. He had made it firm that I would not be going anywhere without his knowledge, and technically I _had_ told him I'd be going to the library and then grocery shopping.

Which I _did_. This was just a side-trip that I had not mentioned to him.

My truck stuttered to a stop as I cut the engine.

The Cullen's glorious ex-house came into view through the trees. I jumped out of the truck, shivering from the cold and dry air. The wintry breeze reminded of him—all of them.

I sighed in disgust; I was pathetic.

My heart thudded in my chest as I started hesitantly towards the house. I couldn't keep my eyes off of it.

" _It will be as if I'd never existed_."

But it _was_ the one possession of theirs that Edward had left behind—one piece of evidence that they _had_ existed.

The large windows Esme had created allowed me to get a glimpse inside the house. The interiors were too dark, but my mind went chaotic. I pictured my previous visits over the summer; sun shining down on the house, seven pale and pleasant vampires blurring around the house—too fast for my human eyes to see—Emmett playing video games, Alice pestering me about makeovers, Jasper serenely reading thick history textbooks, Esme having a blast cooking lunches for me in the kitchen they rarely used, and Edward…

I was almost at the front door now.

More memories flooded into my mind. I had taken such little things like walking up to the Cullens' front door or sitting in their living room for granted. Such normal things I'd thought I'd be able to experience forever.

All of it snatched away from me because of something so insignificant as my birthday party.

For the hundredth time, I wondered what had triggered his realization that I was no longer welcome in his life. The school year had just started and until my wretched birthday party, everything had been going almost perfectly in our relationship. The level of physical intimacy between us had gone down because of Edward's ridiculous fears, but I had actually begun to think that we had an endless future together.

Was it because his interaction with me had caused too much trouble for his family? The terrifying experience with James was proof enough. Was it my presence around _him_ had caused too much pain? I knew my blood was stronger to him than anyone else's was. It made sense that he hadn't wanted to put up with that—with _me_ —anymore.

Naturally the front door was locked, I noticed when I reached it, but I ignored the deadbolts and chains that were in plain view to try anyway. A tiny grin touched my lips as Edward's impossible strength came to my mind. He wouldn't have been deterred by a locked door. The smile was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

Just like him.

For the rest of the afternoon, I remained seated on their front porch, hugging my knees to my chest and staring into nothingness.

"I hope you're happy," I whispered, hoping that the breeze would carry my message to wherever he was in the world.


	25. Photo: Room

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
thetwilight25 dot com**

 **Prompt:** 25 (Photo of **Room** )  
 **Main Character/Pairing:** Bella, Edward  
 **Rating:** K  
 **Word Count:** 1202

 **AN:** I was watching _Tangled_ the other day, so this happened…

* * *

 **\- Bella's Point of View -**

* * *

"Dad," I shouted, rummaging through the laundry basket. "Do you have any clothes for wash? I'm running a load now."

"I already put whatever I had," he yelled back. "Go ahead and add yours."

I thought he said something else, but the roar of the washing machine starting drowned out any noise.

Shutting the lid, I called back, "What?"

No answer.

I shrugged to myself, not surprised if I was starting to hear things, and headed upstairs. Now that senior year was almost coming to an end, the teachers were going insane with tests and revision for final exams. Thanks to Edward's brilliant tutoring, I was fairly confident that I would do well, but the way the teachers were acting was unnecessarily stressing me out.

At this moment, I didn't particularly want to do any studying. It was too hot to even think, let alone memorize theories and equations. For a moment, I considered cleaning the house—my Spring Cleaning was way overdue—but once I wandered in my bedroom and noticed the complete chaos around, that idea flew out the window too.

Finally, I just flung myself onto my bed and turned on my iPod's volume to maximum. The lullaby Edward had composed for me slowly filled my ears. For several moments, I was motionless, listening to the beautiful piece of music in awe, before I let it gradually lull me to sleep…

 _Plink_ , _plink_.

Where was that music coming from?

 _Plink_ , _plink_.

"... hair!"

What in the world?

 _Plink_ , _plink_.

Groaning, I rolled over, blinking sleepily and frowning in confusion. My lullaby, which I had apparently set to _repeat_ , was still playing, and I realized that I had forgotten to remove the cords from my ears.

 _Plink_ , _plink_.

How long had I been asleep for?

I ran a hand across my face, brushing away the hair from my eyes to peer at the clock — and gasping. Three _hours_? Holy crow!

"... let down your hair!"

 _Plink_ , _plink_.

I glanced over at the window, which seemed to be the source of the noise. For a few seconds, I simply watched, and sure enough, tiny pebbles flew out of nowhere, hit the glass briefly — _plink_ , _plink_ — and dropped back down to the grass.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel… let down your hair!"

Oh, _that_ voice was extremely familiar.

And in trouble right now.

Stalking over to the window, I grabbed the handle and flung the glass open as high as it could. Leaning out of the window, I hissed furiously, "What the frig are you doing? Do you _want_ me to get in trouble?"

The epitome of sereness, Edward was leaning against the closest tree, arms crossed in front of his chest. Scattered around his feet as well as right below my window were dozens of tiny stones.

He kissed his fingertips and extended his hand slightly to me. Before I allowed myself to get distracted over Edward blowing me kisses, I leaned out the window, desperately hoping that Charlie wasn't looking out the balcony window.

"Perfect," Edward approved, making no effort to lower his voice and pushing himself off the tree, as my long hair tumbled neatly out the window frame and swung lightly with my movements. "Hold it right there while I climb up."

"Oh, for Pete's sake," I grumbled, slumping against the window. "Charlie might catch you!"

"I'm impossible to catch… literally" was all I heard before Edward breezed through my window and grinned crookedly. He explained, "He's not even at home, love."

"No?" I asked in surprise. "How did I miss that?"

Edward's eyes grew affectionate and he pulled me to him by my waist. "You were asleep when he left. Speaking of which, I'm sorry I woke you."

I yawned and leaned my head against his chest. "No, I'm glad you did." I shook my head. "I have things to get done."

"Such as?"

"Studying. Cleaning. More studying. More cleaning."

He kissed my forehead, leading me to the stairs. "You do the studying, while I do the cleaning?" he proposed.

My eyes went wide. "What? I'm not going to make you clean my house!"

"You're not making me do anything," Edward began patiently. "I offered."

"And I refuse."

Edward rolled his eyes. "What's the problem? It'll save you a lot of time for yourself later, and you won't have to be stressed about it."

"But it's not your mess," I insisted, shuddering at the idea of Edward _cleaning_ , especially the chaos that Charlie and I had created.

"Oh, come on, love," he pleaded. "It would take you three hours to accomplish something that would take _me_ ten minutes. It might even be fun."

"When has scrubbing dishes and sweeping away dust ever been equated to _fun_?" I demanded.

"We never get to do these things at our home. Esme takes care of the practically nonexistent dusting, Alice never lets us do the laundry since all our clothes are 'one-time' use, and of course, we don't have dirty dishes… The most Esme makes us do is mow the lawn." Edward's eyes were bright with anticipation. I couldn't believe he was getting excited over something so... _tedious_. "Think of it… as a human experience for me."

I snorted, shaking my head in disbelief. "You don't get to have human experiences if you're not human, Edward."

He smiled. "Exactly. That's why I'm living them with _you_. Through you. If you expect me to change you so that you're no longer human, the least you can do is allow both of us a few human experiences before that. It's a small price to pay for making me damn you for eternity."

I crossed my arms across my chest. "Is that _blackmail_?"

He laughed gently, the sound so musical. "Call it what you want."

His expression was so earnest and hopeful, it was ridiculous. I appreciated that he _wanted_ to take on the responsibility… weird but sweet at the same time.

"Okay," I conceded, staring at him doubtfully as his eyes lit up. "Go ahead and clean to your heart's content but, er, leave the laundry to me."

My cheeks turned red at the thought of Edward sifting through my laundry basket or even folding my clothes.

He gaze me a quizzical look, but stepped forward to give me a light squeeze before he was gone. He needed no instructions—frustrating, but not surprising; I'd been hoping to show him that I was good at something he wasn't.

True to his word, he was finished with the entire house cleaning, not including my room and the laundry, within ten minutes, and though we had made a deal that I would study while he worked, I had not even read a single page from my chapter. I'd been too distracted with Edward's whooshing back and forth in the house.

"All done, sweetheart," he informed me, his eyes alight with energy. There was a tiny wet spot on his shirt, but apart from that, he looked just as pristine as ever. "How's your progress?"

I glanced down at my unopened textbook. "Yet to happen."

He chuckled, scooping me up from the living room and carrying me to the table.

"How about I help you with that, too?"


End file.
